The Hard Life of an Aid Worker

”How will you survive without Placedes?” Placedes a sturdy woman in her fourties gives me a concerned look. She closes her eyes, as she usually does whenever she speaks, and I watch the two hairs on her adam’s apple move up and down, up and down. I try to explain why I would consider myself perfectly capable of taking care of the house in her absence. My Swedish up bringing has taught me everything there is to know about housekeeping. She does not look very convinced. It is surprising how quickly one adapts to the comfortable life style of a so called ”expat”. It often includes living a life style one could never afford to have in Europe or America. Most development workers seem to have their own maid and gardener. Houses are spacious and often include swiming pool or a tennis court. The bad conscious for leading a life in luxury in the face of extreme poverty is justified by the fact that one is far from family and friends and forced to work in a so called ”hardship” environment. Whilst aid interventions creates business opportunities for the local population the question remains whether it is always justifiable or even necessary.