Donni Donni Kononi B'a Nyaga Da

That's Bambara for "Little by little the little bird builds its nest" which is a proverb that was used often during my Peace Corps service in Mali to explain a development philosophy.

Lately I've been reminiscing a lot about my time in Mali and development in African in general. And I always come back to that proverb. The more I read and learn about all the different approaches to development and foreign aid, especially in this time of economic turmoil, I keep reaffirming some of my core beliefs about development:

• On the ground grassroots development: understand the people first and do what they need, not what you think they need
• Education is vital: Teach a man to fish
• Cross cultural understanding is important: be open to learning and spread what you learn
• Private Investment and Entrepreneurship have the biggest potential: it's time to think outside the box of the traditional "non-profit' approach
• Focus on Women is vital to the future (This is especially true in Africa)
  

So I've decided to start finding some examples that exemplify these principles. Now, while I truly do believe in these principles, I do not consider myself an expert, although I do have some first hand experience. Thus, I am always open to learning more and hearing about "better" approaches.

So I'll start with one story here and post more in future posts. This is a story I retweeted about today on Twitter. Thanks to @pcorpsconnect for the original tweet. It highlights 2 RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) who are helping women in Ghana become entrepreneurs.

http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/4749/two_women_pioneer_a_new_way_to_help_african_women_help_themselves

More to come.