You read that right: ‘No, setting more grandiose goals won’t bring us development.’ The focus should be on achieving the desired effect, or outcome(s). Ok, fine, that’s a tricky statement to make. It is not true, but it is also not untrue. The point is, it takes more than setting Read More
Why things are the way they are
What grandma taught me about doing life
I doubt my grandma died thinking she didn’t have or make an impact. In fact, I know she didn’t. She measured life differently – and that impacted me too…
Recounting a school visit: What you need to know and why it’s incredibly important
The school visit. In line with taking a more active interest in my learning(s), I visited a local government school in my community. The goal of my visit was to understand how they have adapted to life in the Covid-19 era. Beloved, when I tell you I learnt a lot, Read More
The Surprisingly Simple Truth behind end-of-service benefits (ex gratia) for MPs in Ghana
You heard the news about the end-of-service (ex gratia) payments to MPs and you thought one of three things: “Oh, what insanity! ‘End-of-service’ gift for what exactly?” “Wow, I should really consider going into local politics. That’s some money right there! Imagine if I held on for four terms like Read More
Do-It-Yourself project – Somaliland: 5 photos and Me
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are currently circling the airport because there are some goats and sheep on the runway that need to be cleared. We apologize for the delay and will be landing as soon as they have been cleared”. That was my introduction to Hargeisa, Somaliland. When many of Read More
Why governance in Africa is an economic matter
Governance in Africa is an economic matter. States that make heavy use of overt coercion and brutality often do so because they cannot exercise proper authority. They have what Michael Mann labels “despotic power” but not “infrastructural power” to penetrate and shape society. This was true of both the colonial Read More
AfCFTA overview: A few conversation pointers
Many of us have heard ‘AfCFTA’ thrown around everywhere. “It’s the future”; “It is the next big thing for Africa”; “It’s what will set Africa apart”; “It is the dream of Kwame Nkrumah and African freedom fighters”, etc. But after a conversation with a few friends, I realized many people Read More
Part III – Wrapping up the sequel on why we do things the way we do in international development
If you made it to Part III of why we do things the way we do in international development, you a real G. If this is the first post you are stumbling on, hello and welcome! To get a better sense of where this conversation is coming from, please read Read More
Part II: Two reasons why we do things the way we do in international development
Today, I am sharing Part II of my thoughts on why I think we do what we do in international development. If you haven’t read Part I, do check it out here. Today we talk about having a mind for the poor and what makes up knowledge. THE SECOND REASON IS Read More
Questioning the narrative around International Development and Why we do things the way we do – Part I
The concept underlying what international development is and stands to achieve is noble. It sounds nice and in fact, it’s praiseworthy. What it’s not, is clear. Questioning the narrative around International Development and why we do things the way we do is one way to address the mystery that comes Read More