As global living standards steadily rise, many parts of Africa and Asia are still struggling to move forward. Today, there is a growing trend of development professionals working throughout the developing world and helping to jumpstart economies. This cohort of professionals, essentially private development agencies, aims to bring state institutions to the point of self-reliance and overcome the cycle of international handouts. While well-intentioned, international aid programmes that favour short-term aid over long-term growth destroy any hope of kick-starting and maintaining sustainable economies. While aid funding was crucial decades ago, the rise of the nation builder now offers impoverished nations a sustainable trajectory towards prosperity.

Source: Punch June 01, 2020 23:03 UTC