Leaving Afghanistan…
Last week I left Afghanistan for good. When I said goodbye to our local staff member in Helmand he asked "will we see you again in Helmand Province?" "Probably not," I replied. After making Afghanistan my home for the last …
Where there’s a road there’s a way
A number of you have asked me in comments on my blog about how we involve local communities in our roads programmes. And I'm overdue to tell you about my recent field visit, which I mentioned in my blog on …
A drive for peace and prosperity in the DRC
There's nothing quite like a drive in the country to understand the scale of a country's development needs. Whether in an armoured vehicle back in Helmand, on a field trip in Zambia in a previous role to see what scope …
What should we make of the new UK aid?
The Department for International Development is already the most respected of the country-to-country development agencies. But in the past it has been distracted by extraneous domestic political interests. In Andrew Mitchell, the department has a Secretary of State who is …
First impressions of Afghanistan
Hi – my name's Francesca, and I've just arrived in Afghanistan to work for DFID. Over the coming months, I want to share with you my thoughts on the country, on our work here and most importantly - what life is …
So, what does a climate economist do?
Posted by:
Hannah Ryder, Team Leader for Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, Posted on:
-
Categories:
Climate Change
I’ve been a Senior Economist in DFID for just over a month. Many friends and colleagues are excited about my new role…even people I don’t know that well. My first challenge has been giving a clear answer to the question “what …
Chronic irrigation in Afghanistan
I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have seen a river in Afghanistan. The streets in Kabul are dusty and most of the year it doesn’t look like the city has seen a drop of …
Is aid the answer to poverty?
Posted by:
Paul Healey, Head of Profession Social Development, Posted on:
-
Categories:
Africa, China
A couple of weeks ago I attended a number of fascinating sessions at the International Growth Centre’s Growth Week. One event that particularly stuck in my mind focused on the role China is playing in Africa. At the UN Millennium …
So what is "growth" exactly?
Posted by:
Paul Healey, Head of Profession Social Development, Posted on:
-
Categories:
Economic Development
I've noticed the term "growth" is often misunderstood when it comes to development. I’ve even had people thinking I work on agricultural issues – helping things to grow! What I really do is make sure DFID is effective at supporting …
Afghanistan's fragile hope
I can hardly believe how quickly it’s come around – but my time here in Helmand is over. It’s been a fantastic experience, and what I've seen on the ground is very different to the picture so often presented on …
Recent Comments