Belinda is one of a pair of colleagues that I work quite closely with. Together with my colleague Issac, we form the technical advisor/project support team. Belinda is a smart, highly efficient, focused young lady with a lot of passion and drive. And a lot of motivation. When asked what motivates her, she replied “but [...]
Tough Love
Usually, I hear this term talked about in business – something like Mark Hemsworth’s Rent-to-Own for example where his money has been invested in potential entrepreneurs with the expectation that they will pay it all back over time. Recently though I got to be the one giving some tough love to the recently arrived short-term [...]
How should development workers live?
Fellow development worker, Owen Barder, features this article from Ravi Kanbur on the poverty, development workers and what he terms “poverty professionals.” It is a debate that I’ve felt myself as I travel around Ghana and previously Malawi to do my work. I can’t say that I’ve ever come to a good conclusion, but I [...]
Lessons from a light bulb and a ceiling fan
Jointly composed with Erin Flanagan. Amazing when you can boil down an ingrained challenge of development into the positioning of a light bulb and a ceiling fan. This is a well positioned light bulb and ceiling fan. It’s rare. There is enough space between both tools to allow decent light and still blow sufficient amounts [...]
Vrooom Vrooom!
Since arriving in Malawi 1 1/2 years ago, I’ve come full circle with my relationship to motorbikes. I arrived, terrified, clumsy and useless (although I did get a marriage proposal out of my first solo-tumble during practice). I watched in awe as my EWB colleagues Amanda, Mike, Garret and Alynne – all equally new to [...]
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