“Developing countries are littered with the bones of abandoned projects, nearly all of them started by well meaning, well financed Westerners. In every case the facilities, equipment, or infrastructure proved impossible for local people to maintain without access to the same funds, services, replacement parts or expertise. When the Western funders withdrew, the project dried up. After many years of pioneering “primitive technology” projects in rural Africa, I’ve learned that the soundest principle is to help communities move just one step further than where they are now, from sticks to shovels.” —Malcolm Hunter
(from the book TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH)