This article explores ways to create sustainable incentives to motivate Afghan faculty members in the context of their own culture, help them determine their goals, and strengthen their capacity while encouraging them to perform voluntary work. The author suggests that examination of the culture of the Pashtuns, the dominant cultural group in Afghanistan, will help to understand the challenge. The author proceeds to examine Pashtunwali, the democratic, socio-political culture, law and ideology of Pashtun society inherited from their forefathers and carried on to the present generation. He explores multiple codes of conduct within Pashtun society as a way to address the challenge. In conclusion he argues that since training is about communication and transmission of knowledge and skills, it has to account for cultural practices and accommodate them as much as possible. Sustainability works only if programs are based on something tangible in the local culture and motivation cannot be dissociated from this context.