Routledge Adventures in the Aid Trade: Forty Years Practising Development in Forty Countries

Adventures in the Aid Trade takes us on a fascinating journey through 40 years of work at the coalface of international development. Drawing on his experiences from long periods in the field, the author reflects on what has worked, what has not and why, and considers how these experiences relate to students and practitioners today. Looking beyond high-level policy matters and international relations, this book focuses instead on the author’s actual experiences in the field and the inspired local people he encountered. The narrative traces how these people, working through their own organisations, make a difference to the lives of their contemporaries, and learn how to generate the income to do it. Chapters draw on the author’s experiences of working with local practitioners from 40 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, South, South East and Central Asia, and the South Pacific. Peppered with lively stories and anecdotes, Adventures in the Aid Trade provides valuable lessons from the shifting aid landscape and reflects on where the industry is likely to go next. Whether you are a current development practitioner or a student just starting out in your understanding of the development and humanitarian sectors, this book provides an invaluable snapshot of the world of civil society organisations, governance and the voluntary sector, and the lived lives of ordinary people in extraordinary times. Review "Adventures in the Aid Trade stands alone for the extraordinary range of experience and insight it presents. I know of no other book quite like it…For all who work in development or aspire to do so, it is a grounded and invaluable source of learning and inspiration...[and] a rich source of ideas for how we can do better. I commend it to all development professionals, whatever their roles, as an engaging read and a fertile source of learning." -- Robert Chambers, OBE "Adventures in the Aid Trade is at once memoir, "how-to"manual, reflexive critique, and globe trotting picaresque narrative. Full of insight, humour, and heart, Richard Holloway has produced an essential text for students, scholars, and practitioners of development alike. It is also a great read." -- Larry Swatuk, Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo, Canada "Adventures in the Aid Trade stands alone for the extraordinary range of experience and insight it presents. I know of no other book quite like it…For all who work in development or aspire to do so, it is a grounded and invaluable source of learning and inspiration. It is a rich source of ideas for how we can do better. I commend it to all development professionals, whatever their roles, as an engaging read and a fertile source of learning." -- Robert Chambers, OBE "Adventures in the Aid Trade is at once memoir, "how-to"manual, reflexive critique, and globe trotting picaresque narrative. Full of insight, humour, and heart, Richard Holloway has produced an essential text for students, scholars, and practitioners of development alike. It is also a great read." -- Larry Swatuk, Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo, Canada About the Author Richard Holloway is an international development professional with more than 40 years’ experience managing social development projects and programmes in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. He has extensive experience of working with non-state and state actors to strengthen processes of citizen–state engagement, and over 20 years’ experience of implementing and managing large donor-funded projects (USAID, DFID, UNDP, EU, World Bank). He is currently an independent consultant after many years as a long-term project manager. His notable books are Beyond NGOs: CSOs with Development Impact, Doing Development: Governments, CSOs and the Rural Poor in Asia and Towards Financial Self-Reliance: Handbook on Resou