A giraffe

Development is like the giraffe always eating the fresh leaves at the top, leaving those at the bottom to wither. Development only occurs in the cities where you can see tangible results such as buildings and structures, as well as circulation of good money. Rural communities are frequently marginalized in the development narrative, left only with the bottom leaves. This is a top-down notion of development. For people in the rural areas, they are just the bait or a pawn for those in power in the cities, despite their crucial role as primary producers of raw materials.

Created in Songani, Malawi, 2024

This object is part of the Metaphors for Un/Making CSC Collection.