Posts by Dave
Who Knows Best? Unpacking the Idea of an ‘Expert’
Over breakfast, a Ugandan government worker scoffed at the idea of international ‘experts’ coming to solve a crop yield issue. “A foreigner with a degree in agriculture isn’t the expert. The expert is the old man who farmed here his whole life,” he said, taking a sip of caai. Power imbalances in research, development, and humanitarian…
Read MoreHow can rural Pakistani communities’ electricity needs be met?
Have you ever been without electricity for a day? For a week? For a month? How did you cope? 840 million people are still without access to electricity, with plenty more facing regular breaks in their electrical supply. This lack of energy has acute consequences. They include lack of light for school children to study…
Read MoreWorking with the grassroots to push the national development agenda
Malawi is one of the countries in southern Africa that could benefit from effective and efficient use of resources in ways that positively impact its citizens’ quality of life, half of whom live in poverty. As a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer based in Blantyre district, I inform decisions around the allocation of resources. I can…
Read MoreCAN CHILD MALNUTRITION IN AFRICA BE SUSTAINABLY ADDRESSED?
Poverty, food insecurity, and poor nutrition and health are eroding quality of life and limiting economic productivity in Africa. In 2016, when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era started, Africa accounted for just over 60% of global poverty. Today, it is over 70%. By 2030, it could be close to 90%. It clearly seems that…
Read MoreApplying a decolonial lens to research structures, practices and norms in higher education: What does it mean and where to next?
In recent years, commentators have challenged ethnocentric and racialised paradigms of knowledge rooted in colonial histories and power politics. This reflects movements to decolonise curricula, pedagogy and theoretical thinking in higher education. However, we have given much less attention to the structural and institutionalised mechanisms of research development. Similarly, we need to think more about…
Read MoreHighlights from the ‘Global Migration Crisis’ Debate
Introduction On 4th November, students, staff and visitors gathered in LSHTM’s John Snow Lecture Theatre to debate the ‘global migration crisis’. The event was part of the 17th annual ESRC Festival of Social Science. Dr Elaine Chase, Associate Professor in Education, Health Promotion and International Development, Centre of Education for International Development at UCL Institute of…
Read MoreTECH CENTRES IN GHANA: EXPLORING POTENTIAL GROWTH AND RISKS
Africa’s population is growing and will continue to do so. Ghana alone has an estimated population of 30.4 million people and faces problems such as pollution and access to quality healthcare. As a result, it makes an interesting place to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI). Delivering AI has the potential to enhance quality of life for…
Read MoreFORTIFIED AGAINST MALNUTRITION
With soaring rates of nutrient deficiency worldwide, there is an urgent need to improve the health outcomes of the world’s population through innovative and cost-effective means. MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCY Micronutrient malnutrition affects high and low to middle income countries alike. Women and children are most vulnerable to this problem, which refers to diseases caused by a…
Read MoreHOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WORKS? LOOKING TOWARDS A COURSE IN EVALUATION
WHAT IS EVALUATION ANYWAY? This year, I was the lucky recipient of an LIDC bursary to attend the Short Course: Evaluation From Innovation to Impact. This course runs in London from 4 – 8 November and “aims to provide students with a comprehensive background in evaluation methods for development programmes.” But what does this mean?…
Read MoreInterview with Alessandro Bini, Director, Somali Cash Consortium
We were excited to chat to Alessandro Bini, the Director of the Somali Cash Consortium, which provides humanitarian cash transfers to vulnerable populations in Somalia. Alessandro told us about the project to date, and how it will shape the future of humanitarian and government assistance in Somalia. 1) Can you outline the origins and objectives…
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