When we talk about “development” work — in any form, there is this automatic assumption that the work that is being done is “good.” But this isn’t always the case. Help isn’t always good, especially when it is unwanted or forced. Often times the help given can be detrimental to the livelihoods of…

My time in South Africa allowed me to witness the failures of development at the micro level. I was able to compliment my education and understanding of educational development at the macro level with work at the micro level. I was also able to glimpse a hope for us who are in this kind of…

I’ve been very fortunate that I started my internship as Molteno was finishing up a project. Despite my criticisms of the project, I’ve been able to put to use skills I learned in my quantitative and…

In development, large initiatives and bold revolutions are often highlighted as the answer the the worlds problems — think Millennium Development Goals or the new Sustainable Development Goals. But this is wrong. What we need in development is not big revolutions with a capital…

One of my critiques on the way current development work is done is that it focuses very heavily on implementing projects and programs on people without working with the people. It treats them as subjects instead of as people with agency. The lack of effective…