Rethinking Sustainability for Foreign-Funded Community-Based Projects (CBPS) in Low-Income Countries

In this research, we set out to reexamine the intractable problem of unsustainability in foreign-funded Community-Based Projects (CBPs) in low-income countries. The study explored the sustainability of foreign-funded CBPS in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province by analysing their funding experiences, practices, strategies, challenges, and developing a CBP sustainability model. A mixed-methods approach was used where the positivist paradigm assessed the opinions of CBP stakeholders, while interpretive phenomenology focused on theory building based on subjective substantiations. We used an explanatory concurrent survey participated by 470 households and 30 stakeholders under the National Association of NGOs (NANGO). Descriptive statistics were used for questionnaire-based data analysis while thematic analysis was used for interview-based data analysis. The study reveals that most CBPs in Masvingo Province receive international funding for development projects, with most focusing on emergencies, human rights, social services, environment, and poverty alleviation. Stakeholders, however, believe that the initiatives are hard to maintain because of the funding cycles’ limited nature. The CBPs are enhancing lives by addressing gaps in government service delivery in marginalised communities but they are putting too much focus on financial resources, leading to a myriad of project nightmares when foreign grants do not come. They face numerous challenges including funding dependency amid fluctuating funding sources and conditionalities. Accountability issues are also prevalent as well as cultural challenges arising from misunderstanding local customs. Recommendations for sustainability include exploring alternative funding sources, diversifying income sources and fundraising. Balancing short-term funding with long-term financial stability as well as investing in local capacity-building are also crucial for project endurance and impact sustainability. We also recommend strategic planning with long-term goals as well as adaptive programming to respond to changing community needs. CBP teams must prioritise learning over impressing the donors. This approach fosters ownership, strengthens local institutions and supports long-term sustainability through demonstrable impact.