tl;dr: Lessons from a international cooperation project in Burkina Faso: a revealing account of flawed approaches and ineffective donor involvement. #FutureOfCooperation

Development aid is meant to empower—but too often, systemic issues turn good intentions into missed opportunities. Mayliss François’s (LinkedIn) recent insights from managing a project in Burkina Faso shed light on this:

🔸 Donor-driven agendas clash with local realities, sidelining collaboration. 🔸 Bureaucratic overload strains local organizations, eating into resources and neglecting national laws. 🔸 Financial struggles arise from delayed payments and restrictive in-kind subsidies. 🔸 Ethical challenges exclude vulnerable groups due to rigid donor metrics. 🔸 Feedback gaps create barriers to project improvements, stifling adaptability.

Mayliss François calls for trust, locally aligned requirements, and strong feedback loops to make development aid more effective and sustainable. 🌱 Read the full article here: The sour taste of development aid and what to do about it

👉 👉 That’s why there is a need for a tool embedded in an innovative mechanism to address these challenges, starting with changemakers and small NGOs, with a strong focus on local empowerment - if you are interested in co-developing this solution, let’s connect! 🙌

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