Dr. Joshua Muskin from Geneva Global shares his insights on learning from failure in development work. He highlights the pitfalls of creating “hothouse flower” projects—initiatives that thrive in ideal conditions but struggle to scale in real-world environments and contexts. Dr. Muskin reflects on a past project in Sudan, where a woman-run garden failed due to initial incompatibility with the cultural context, yet ultimately led to a surge in demand for gardening resources as the women adapted to their circumstances.
Dr. Muskin emphasized the importance of embracing failure as a learning opportunity, advocating for a trust-based approach in program design. He argued that seeing effective results requires understanding the contextualized challenges faced by local institutions and adapting models accordingly. Successful initiatives, like the Speed School program in Uganda and Ethiopia, thrive on community-led approach and collaboration with governments, proving that proven, evidence-based approaches can lead to sustainable impact. Ultimately, he stressed that successful development is about processes and relationships, not just outcomes.