This is a tantalizing–and for that reason, far too short–look at the way U.S. foreign aid works. Albeit in a single country. In a single province. On a single project. Sarah Chayes was a journalist until the fall of Afghanistan, where she gave up her NPR job to see how I would do if confronted with the requirement to produce a visible difference.” In this case, by founding a cooperative that ships fancy-schmancy soaps made by virtual paupers to markets for the American pampered. They didn’t know how to use a seed-press when they started–Sarah included–and now, they sell $2,500 worth of soap a month. Not bad (though even in Afghanistan, there must be these days a wistful yearning to earn in Euros). Until USAID gets involved…
Turns out spending money really is an American way of doing good, pressing seeds into oil is fascinating, and U.S. aid is just as unimaginative as U.S. business. Imagine that.
