Category: Global Development
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Kiuyu Mbuyuni
27 September 2009On Friday I made my last trip to Kiuyu Mbuyuni (at least for now), stopping by to talk with the Micheweni District Commissioner and the District Planning Officer on the way. I was escorted by Adi F., who works on the JP5 program for the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA). I…
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Learning Dar es Salaam
9 July 2009 I am sitting in George Sempeho’s office at the UN, and we are going through hell just to make a phone call – land line to land line. I had to take a cab here because no one in Tanzania can make a conference call; the technology doesn’t exist here! (Or so…
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Recovered Memories of Pemba in 2009
7 July 2009 Today is Saba Saba, the seventh day of the seventh month – a national holiday. I’ve heard different stories about its origin: that It began as a market day, when all the farmers would bring their harvest to the city; or that it celebrates the founding of the TANU party (Tanganyika African…
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The Tyranny of the Past
Yesterday I spent a little time logging into what seems to have been an all-day conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Clubhouse. The discussion was, of course, prompted by the recent Hamas rocket attacks and the Israeli bombings that murdered hundreds of civilians. But it was really a lot of venting about the endless history…
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Vindication 2009
Dear Michael, Over the weekend our team met with Beth to review her findings and recommendations for the Millennium Village Project in Micheweni District, and we are all confident that we have identified the best possible path forward to fully launch the MVP in Micheweni District. First though, I want to stress that Beth did…
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Narcissism and social responsibility
I’ve long been an advocate of corporate social responsibility and a believer that the corporation can be an agent for good in the world. Yes the goal of for-profit organizations is to make money and not to give money or time away. But reputation matters. According to BusinessWeek (July 9, 2007) “Reputation is a big…
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A Visit to Wete
Pemba. We’re sitting in the one air-conditioned office at the Ministry of Finance in Chake Chake, the office reserved for the Officer in Charge. We have an appointment to meet Maua, the acting officer in charge, who is handling Bakari’s responsibility while he’s in the UK getting an advanced degree. Maua agreed to take us…
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A Birthday Escape in 2009
Today is my birthday – and spur of the moment last night I decided to go to the best resort on the island – Fundu Lagoon. I had had a bit of a trying day. First a run that made me realize I don’t have the drive to train for this year’s marathon. Not here,…
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Pemba 2009
1 July 2009 KLM flight to Amsterdam. I am off. Gone. The trek has started. It would seem so grandiose to say I have begun a hero’s journey, but it feels as if I am on a mythical quest. A transformation from one stage of my life to another. And that everything I ever thought,…