Shifting Power, Not Just Moving It

In this episode, Wade and Jai sit down with Charles Kojo Van Dyke of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) to unpack what locally-led development really requires beyond the buzzwords. 

Charles draws a sharp distinction between moving power and changing power,  illustrated through WACSI's "reverse call for proposals" model, where a Zambian community foundation put an international NGO through its own due diligence process. It's a candid, energizing conversation about what genuine partnership looks like when communities are treated as co-investors rather than beneficiaries. 

In this solo episode, Wade flies without co-host Japreet to tackle two topics: the dismantling of USAID under the Trump administration and what that means for international development, and a "pull back the curtain" look at behind-the-scenes realities of the field that most donors and supporters never hear — lessons learned from years of on-the-ground work in places like Myanmar and Zambia.

In this episode, Wade is joined by Roland Mora (a Durango community member) and Sebastian Farrell (a Fort Lewis College engineering student) fresh off a trip to Zambia. They discuss a collaborative infrastructure project involving Shanta Village Partners, the Village Aid Project (VAP) from Fort Lewis, and local Durango partners like the High Noon Rotary Club, highlighting the kind of community-led, locally-centered development that RISE champions.

 In this episode of RISE, Wade and Jai discuss decolonizing international development and spotlighting locally-led solutions, with Jai sharing updates on All We Can's work, including an upcoming supporter event called "Local Voice, Lasting Change" featuring a partner organization in Sierra Leone doing advocacy around FGM and domestic violence. The episode reflects RISE's broader mission of amplifying local practitioners and rethinking how international development is done. 

In this episode of RISE, we focus on what it takes to move from reflection to action. As traditional aid models are challenged and funding landscapes shift, this conversation highlights how communities and organizations are actively adapting, strengthening local systems, deepening leadership, and building solutions that can endure beyond external support. It’s a practical look at how lasting change continues to take shape, even in uncertain times.

In this episode of RISE, the conversation moves beyond funding challenges to examine what comes next. As traditional aid models face increasing uncertainty, we explore how development can evolve, centering local leadership, redefining success, and building systems that don’t rely on external support. This discussion offers a forward-looking perspective on what sustainable, community-led change truly requires.

In this episode of RISE, we examine the impact of shifting global funding priorities, including the loss of USAID support, on rural development efforts. Through firsthand experience, this conversation explores how communities and organizations are adapting,  and why strengthening local leadership and long-term, community-led solutions is more important than ever in the face of uncertainty.

Wade and Jai sit down with Sudhanshu Shekhar Singh, founder of Humanitarian Aid International, to rethink what development really means. Together they ask: Does true progress require consumption and materialism, or can we define devleopment in more equitable ways?

What if the most powerful development leaders are the villages themselves? This episode highlights Shanta’s Villages Leading Villages pilot and the shared approach Shanta and All We Can take to peer-led development and women’s empowerment.

Meet Janet Nyoni, Program Manager in Zambia with the People's Action Forum, Shanta's partner on the ground, implementing life-changing work through true community-led development. How does she empower the people of these rural areas to believe in creating real change to rise out of extreme poverty?

https://pafzambia.com/