RISE: Solutions to Extreme Poverty in Rural Villages
Welcome to RISE: Solutions to Extreme Poverty in Rural Villages. I'm Wade Griffith from Shanta Village Partners, and I'm joined by my co-host Jaipreet Kaur from All We Can. This Podcast is a space for practitioners, funders, change makers, and anyone committed to eliminating extreme poverty to share their passion and knowledge on long-term approaches to rural development that center on community leadership. Each episode features practical strategies, lessons learned, and case studies from initiatives that are re-balancing power, prioritizing local knowledge, and building systems that last. At RISE, we're committed to advancing community-led development and rethinking the role of international actors through a decolonial lens. Special thanks to Fort Lewis College's radio station, KDUR, for their recording expertise and live airing of RISE.
RISE: Solutions to Extreme Poverty in Rural Villages
Episode 42
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Episode: Confessions from the Field — What We Get Wrong About Helping
In this candid episode, Wade and co-host Japreet Kaur reflect on their own early missteps in international development, including a mission trip to Nicaragua where good intentions led to real harm- from a house built on land the recipient didn't own to donated clothing that gutted a local garment industry. They unpack the uncomfortable but necessary shift from wanting to be the "hero" of someone else's story to learning how to listen, sit with discomfort, and hand ownership back to communities. It's a humbling, honest conversation about humility, curiosity, and why genuine development work can't be rushed, with reading recommendations (Toxic Charity, When Helping Hurts, Poor Economics, Dead Aid) for listeners wanting to dig deeper.
