I spent most of my decade in East Africa watching diplomats in Geneva trade high-minded rhetoric while I was staring at a broken axle in …
What a Peacekeeping Mandate Allows
March 2026
Tracing a Separated Family
People love to talk about the “humanitarian spirit” and the emotional weight of bringing loved ones together, but if you ask me, that’s just noise. …
The Five Phases of Food Insecurity
I remember sitting in a humid warehouse outside Goma, staring at a stack of reports that claimed everything was “under control” while the dust from …
The Learning Crisis Behind Full Classrooms
I remember sitting in a dusty office in Goma, staring at a spreadsheet that claimed we had achieved a 90% primary school attendance rate. On …
Banks That Will Not Move the Money
I remember sitting in a humid office in Juba, staring at a spreadsheet that claimed we had “successfully mitigated risk” for a new regional program. …
Covering an Operation That Is Hosting You
I once spent three days sitting in a dusty Land Cruiser outside a checkpoint in South Sudan, watching a shipment of temperature-sensitive vaccines sit under …
Why Exemptions Fail at the Bank
I remember sitting in a humid, windowless office in Goma, staring at a stack of UN resolutions that promised everything and delivered nothing. On paper, …
Enrolment Is Not Learning
I spent nine years in the back of Land Cruisers across the DRC, watching NGOs pour millions into “capacity building” while the actual infrastructure crumbled. …
Reporting With Someone Watching
I remember sitting in the back of a Land Cruiser outside Goma, the heat thick enough to chew, watching a junior coordinator try to “negotiate” …
The Health Worker Paid in Stipends
I spent a decade watching NGOs pour millions into “capacity building” workshops and glossy training manuals, all while the actual delivery chain sat in pieces. …