Alice Fidell, Climate Activist Summer programme

We usually don’t think twice when we hear the word “aid.” Most of us assume that helping someone is always a good thing—after all, how could giving to the poor be wrong? But I’ve realized that there is a big difference between just being “charitable” and actually doing development in a way that changes lives forever.

I used to think that poverty was just a lack of money, but the truth is often about a lack of
access. For a long time, the traditional “aid industry” followed theories that didn’t really work on the ground.
A powerful example of this is the story of Muhammad Yunus. He met a woman who had to borrow less than a dollar from a moneylender just to survive, but the terms were so bad she was basically a slave. He realized that by giving just $27 out of his own pocket, he could free 42 people from that cycle. This wasn’t just “giving money”; it was proving that the poor—especially women—are trustworthy and “credit-worthy,” even without any collateral.
Another thing I never really considered is that real help doesn’t always need a big institution. In many places, people are creating their own “financial inclusion” without any banks. For example, in Mali, women form small groups to save their own money and lend it to each other. It only costs about $20 to train a member, and then the group can run itself for years.

This is so much better than just a “handout” because it builds social capital—the women gain confidence, learn to lead, and even start their own businesses.

Finally, we have to look at how governments help. In Brazil, a program called Bolsa Família has liftedd millions out of poverty, but it isn’t just a “free gift”. Families only get the support if they meet social requirements, like making sure their kids go to school and get vaccinated. This way, the help isn’t just a temporary fix; it’s an investment in the next generation.

The more I learned, the more I saw that the best kind of development is about empowering people to be their own driving force for change. It’s about building their capacities, so they don’t need “aid” anymore.

My Personal Turning Point I never used to think about the “aid industry” this way. I just thought help was help. But exploring these different models and seeing how much impact
“doing it right” can have has completely shifted my perspective. This is exactly why I wanted to create this article: to tell you about my favourite course and why it changed my mind. It was through these specific lessons that I truly understood how we can move beyond simple charity to real, sustainable change.

Thanks for reading, a. see you soon!