I spent nine years in the back of dusty Land Cruisers across South Sudan and the DRC, watching millions of dollars in aid vanish into …
Choosing Where to Give
August 2026
Who Decides What Gets Funded
I spent a decade watching people in air-conditioned offices in Geneva and Nairobi argue over “strategic frameworks” and “multi-stakeholder engagement models.” They treat the process …
The Vaguest Phrase in Development
I spent three years in South Sudan watching consultants in crisp safari shirts present glossy slide decks about “institutional strengthening” while our local warehouse staff …
Going Back Six Months Later
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 …
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 …