Politics of Aid and Poverty

When I was a kid, I was told a story. It went on like this. There was once a man who lost a precious coin and he was searching for it in the garden on a bright sunny day. His friend came along and enquired about his frantic search. He told about the lost coin and said that it had fallen and got lost in one of the dark corners of his house. His puzzled friend asked him about his search for the coin in the garden while it is sure that the coin had fallen inside the house. The man's immediate response is that the house is dark and therefore difficult to search while it is bright outside and easier to see. Sounds whimsical but isn't this somewhat true of development activists around the world. Real poverty and needs are hidden somewhere but it is easier to work elsewhere as they are seen, glorified, and perhaps better rewarded!!