More Insights – Busara

When times wobble, double down on getting the basics right: three unglamorous ideas for our work

This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2026 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. During the 2022 FTX Crypto Cup, the chess world accused Hans Niemann of cheating. In…

The hidden burden of reform: Why systems, not teachers, need to carry the weight

Education research shapes how governments, donors, and school systems decide which programs to invest in and which interventions are likely to improve learning outcomes. These interventions shape approaches used by…

Let’s not waste it: how learning about food waste can help us deal with uncertainty.

This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2026 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. Picture a bustling market on a warm afternoon. Stalls full of tomatoes, greens, fruits, and…

How is it looking? Visual design and the ethics of imagery in the age of AI

As AI seeps into how we work, communicate, and make decisions, it’s quietly rewriting the terms of everyday life. Digging out patterns we’d never be able to notice—like the ones…

Yes, things are uncertain, but that is also part of the system.

This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2026 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. Over the past year, conversations across Busara have carried a familiar refrain: things feel uncertain.…

Breaking silos: Why collective climate action needs a shift

In a village in central Kenya, Daniel, a coffee farmer, has just completed his fourth training this season. These sessions are part of a growing wave of climate-smart agriculture initiatives…

Reclaiming digital spaces: applying behavioral science to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence

Access to the internet has increased significantly worldwide in recent years. In Kenya, mobile data subscriptions have reached 57.18 million, with over 42 million smartphones purchased in the country, according…

Unlocking community agency: Behavioral insights from Spark Microgrants’ Facilitated Collective Action Process

In Uganda, Óbumu is a concept that fosters unity in a community over shared goals. Rooted in African philosophy, it reflects the traditional African worldview in which community forms the…

Cooking with ‘funny-looking’ vegetables and reducing food waste, one Efo Riro soup at a time

Some vegetables simply weren’t made for the spotlight. Some are born wonky. A carrot takes a wrong turn underground and comes out with a limp. A tomato forgets to stay…

Behaviorally informed political economy analyses: How behavioral science can enrich the process of thinking and working politically in development

Development efforts travel a complex terrain: where local needs and resources, political interests, power dynamics, and cultural history cross paths in exciting, but often confusing ways. Many vital services may…