A couple of weekends ago, the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang made his first ever trip to Africa, visiting Angola, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya. This was a significant date. 50 years ago, the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai made the …
A highly addictive substance with strong stimulant properties is being grown in the conflict torn hills of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Between 50 and 80% of the harvest is then smuggled by boat and by road across the …
I sometimes worry that I work too hard. This is the third valentine's date with my husband that I've missed because of working abroad. I'm currently in Nigeria for the fifth meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation's …
A few weeks ago I saw an article in Foreign Policy about Primus, the ubiquitous beer of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The authors, Jason Miklian and Peer Shouten, explore some of the social, cultural, and conflict dynamics of …
A couple of days ago, I had coffee with a friend and ended up talking about my move from London to Glasgow, just over a year and a half ago. I told my friend that when I first moved, I started …
Sometimes, it seems like we are constantly under pressure to "pitch". Whether it's planning your two minute "elevator pitch" for the momentous day you meet your role model in a lift, or working out how to get your boss to …
One week left in Ouagadougou - a city that will remain close to my heart for years to come - and our workload appears to have tripled. Before I began my project with Tigoung Nonma, a co-operative dedicated to helping …
Today I write this blog as Chief Executive of JITA - a globally groundbreaking Non-Governmental Organisation/private sector hybrid. However, my title wasn't always so business-like. I used to work for CARE International, in charge of Bangladesh's Rural Sales Programme (RSP). …
This dreary February has been brightened up for me by my new-found joy and addiction to 'Borgen', the Danish political thriller with a wonderful, powerful woman Prime Minister. It's even better than my other, and laugh-out-loud, favourite, 'In the Loop'. …
Towards the end of last year, I was privileged to visit Africa with Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation, to see for myself the benefits Fairtrade is bringing to growers and their families in South Africa and Kenya. …
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