More Insights – Page 3 – Busara

A land called localization: understanding the gap between theory and practice of implementing food loss and waste solutions in the Global South.

A land called localization: understanding the gap between theory and practice of implementing food loss and waste solutions in the Global South.

We bring ourselves to language. A big part of the way a word is understood is the people and context within which it is used. If you talk about the…

The work is not done: creating new paths to an equitable world in uncertain times

The work is not done: creating new paths to an equitable world in uncertain times

There are many valid perspectives from which to criticise the development sector. A lot of the work in the space, for example, fails to achieve the intended expectations. One could…

Buttons, boxes, and biases: The illusion and desire for control

Buttons, boxes, and biases: The illusion and desire for control

Have you ever found yourself desperately pressing the "close door" button in an elevator, convinced that your actions are speeding up the process? If so, you’ve experienced the illusion of…

Bringing the economy closer to home. Using urban exploration to unlock economic opportunities for underserved communities in Nairobi

Bringing the economy closer to home. Using urban exploration to unlock economic opportunities for underserved communities in Nairobi

Plato’s allegory of the cave from his work Republic asks us to imagine a group of prisoners chained in a cave whose only view of the outside world is a…

Can dialogue foster active citizen participation in Kenya? Reflecting on the People Dialogue Festival

Can dialogue foster active citizen participation in Kenya? Reflecting on the People Dialogue Festival

The People Dialogue Festival (PDF) was birthed as a follow up to the political truce between the former President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga which…

Making the connection: changing the system of gender-based violence in Guatemala

Making the connection: changing the system of gender-based violence in Guatemala

This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2025 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. In global development, the quest for measurable impact often gravitates towards quantifiable outcomes: the number…

What happens to the people? Understanding good and evil through citizen ethnography

What happens to the people? Understanding good and evil through citizen ethnography

This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2025 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. In mechanics, impact describes the collision of bodies. For instance, in the case of a…

Teachers know best? Navigating the unknown in sharing our knowledge

Teachers know best? Navigating the unknown in sharing our knowledge

This article is part of Busara’s Tafakari 2025 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. During my earlier days at Busara (more than ten years ago) my job description involved…

We give to get: community mechanisms as impactful insurance

We give to get: community mechanisms as impactful insurance

This article is part of Busara's Tafakari 2025 yearbook. You can download the whole yearbook here. It is common to think of an umbrella as a symbol for insurance. Just…

Speaking up for what is right. Using moral values to drive civic engagement in Kenya.

Speaking up for what is right. Using moral values to drive civic engagement in Kenya.

Democracy, by definition, needs the public to be engaged and active in its processes. Globally, civic engagement is influenced by a multitude of factors, including moral values, political trust, leadership…