Thanks for stopping by. This DFID Bloggers site is now closed and will no longer be updated regularly. However, all the blogs that appeared here will be archived if you want to look back at any of our posts. Why …
I'm sitting on a covered patio at the Embassy, watching a Congolese storm brew. The weather didn’t let up all weekend, and it's hard not to see it as a metaphor for the turbulence that has followed the release of …
"I thought results were due out today?" my dad asked on Tuesday. "What's going on?" It's true that the announcement of the results of the DRC elections were originally slated for the 6th December. But the huge challenge of getting …
As the world gathers in Durban to continue discussions on how best to avoid the impacts of climate change, last Saturday, several UN organisations and others hosted the Agriculture and Rural Development Day. I gave a keynote presentation, sharing a …
Over the past few weeks, and as I mentioned in a previous blog post, I've been continuing to help the DFID team in Ethiopia design an exciting new programme focused on supporting new small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs, including …
Sitting down for dinner in the Bulawayo Club (est. 1895) in southern Zimbabwe, one feels that one has been transported back to a gentlemen's club in fin de siècle Mayfair. One is immersed amongst Greek colonnades, oil portraits of colonial …
Herat is seen as the cultural capital of Afghanistan. It boasts a university, a growing economy, a thriving carpet and crafts industry, and is one of the more secure provinces in Afghanistan. Herat lies in the North West of Afghanistan, …
Locked inside a classroom at 9pm, watching the count of presidential votes by the light of camping lanterns, I couldn't have been further from my day job. As I reported in my last blog, I spent Monday 28th November 2011 …
"Can you call someone?" I kept being asked, "We want to be able to vote." I set off at 4:45 this morning - bleary-eyed but as tightly wound with excitement and anticipation as the city of Kinshasa has been throughout …
Kabul has just seen the end of the Loya Jirga - a mass meeting in which, traditionally, tribal elders meet to discuss matters of national and political importance. During the three-day event, around 2,000 Afghan nationals from across the country gathered …
Violence against women and girls is unacceptable, yet it's one of the most widespread violations of human rights worldwide. As many as one in three women experiences violence or abuse at some point in her life. The Coalition Government is committed …
