Should we really be telling developing countries how to run their economies?

What's the point of giving aid if we attach so many strings that it ends up being more about us than them? We often hand over money with all these conditions about market liberalisation, austerity, and so on, supposedly to make them more 'stable' or 'attractive to investors.' But honestly, it often feels like we're just pushing our own economic ideology onto nations that need to find their own path, potentially causing more harm than good in the process. It’s like telling someone how to cook a meal when they’re starving, but insisting they use your specific, unfamiliar ingredients and methods.

My proposal is for a radical simplification of aid conditions, focusing instead on genuine capacity building and supporting locally led development plans.