I remember sitting in a humid office in Goma, staring at a stack of empty shipping crates and a report that claimed a “transformative” shipment …
Going Back Six Months Later
Why Good Evidence Does Not Change Policy
I once sat in a humid, windowless briefing room in Goma, watching a consultant present a thirty-page slide deck on “optimal resource allocation models.” He …
Planning to Leave From the Start
I once sat in a humid briefing room in Goma, watching a consultant in a crisp linen suit present a sixty-page slide deck on sustainability. …
Paying for Reporting Nobody Commissions
I spent nine years in the bush, watching NGOs raise millions for “empowerment” while I sat in a humid warehouse waiting for a single truck …
Having an Account and Using One
I spent nine years in South Sudan and the DRC watching NGOs move millions of dollars in aid, but I learned early on that a …
Value for Money and Its Four Es
I spent a decade watching headquarters in Geneva and London pour over spreadsheets, debating the nuances of procurement frameworks and theoretical cost-benefit ratios. They love …
Pitching a Story From a Place Nobody Covers
I spent nine years in South Sudan and the DRC watching people mistake “awareness” for “impact.” I’ve seen editors get blinded by sweeping, sweeping narratives …
Controls That Actually Catch Leakage
I spent most of my nine years in East Africa staring at stacks of compliance spreadsheets that promised everything was under control, while knowing damn …
Most Work, Uncounted
I once spent three weeks in a dusty transit hub outside Goma, waiting for a shipment of antibiotics that the official manifests said had already …
What Fair Trade Guarantees
I spent nine years in the back of Land Rovers and dusty warehouses across East Africa, and if there is one thing I learned, it’s …