Poorland: A Cast of Characters
September 2017

Wib, a World Bank worker in charge of administering a $50 million fund to be used to develop in Poorland. Wib must try to deal with projects in the city, mountains and lowlands by supporting NGO projects that meet development criteria in all three regions. Wib could also support CBOs but is unsure how to deal with poor Poorish people. Wib are from the Global North, trained with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a focus on development administration. This is useful in this job since the World Bank's focus is on integrating Poorland better in global capitalism as a development strategy. Wib’s family has accompanied Wib on this five year placement in Poorland and they live in a safe (i.e. rich) neighbourhood in Bigugly. Wib and family are English speaking.

Gob, a civil servant, working for the Ministry of Development in Poorland. Gob earns about 20% of what Wib or Frosty earn, and 50% of what Verde earns, although Gob has a higher level of education from Poorland University from which Gob graduated with an MA in Development Studies. Gob’s parents are from a community like Villachica in the highlands and sacrificed much to put Gob through school. They still rely on Gob to help with family needs. Gob lives in Bigugly in a gentrifying neighbourhood that was once a shantytown. Gob’s job is to seek support from international donors (especially the multilateral and bilateral organizations) to supplement government revenues for development projects in Poorland. The Minister Gob works for must stave off criticism from opposition parties and looks to Gob for help in promoting the government agenda, which is to balance demands from foreign investors and the international community who want better access to Poorland resources, and the citizens who want to keep Poorland for Poorlanders. Gob can communicate well in English, although Poorish is Gob’s first language.

Frosty, from Canda, a country in the Global North, and works for that country's bilateral aid agency, called "Canpoo" in Poorland. Frosty has BA in international relations and is posted for a five year term to Poorland. Canda's government has recently decided it is going to reorder its economic priorities and wishes only to support those countries and projects which provide some benefit to its own economy, either through providing needed inputs (such as wormite for its hightech industry) or allowing for Candian investors to invest in profitable sectors of Poorland's economy. Frosty is ambitious and wishes to do well in this first job after getting a degree. Frosty is based in Bigugly and takes occasional trips to rural Poorland villages where Canpoo projects are located. Frosty is English speaking.

Newbie, from Emergland, an emerging economy and international donor country, works for that country’s bilateral aid agency, called “Emergapoo” in Poorland. Newbie has training in mining engineering, with a minor in agricultural technologies. Emergland is pursuing a strategy to increase its influence in the world through diplomatic, trade and development aid ventures. It is particularly interested in being able to secure its supply of wormite to feed its high tech production industry, and uses all of its diplomatic, economic and development assistance power to achieve that goal. Newbie speaks only Emergish and has ambitions to rise to the top of the technical assistance division of Emergapoo.

Verde, works for a transnational NGO (called "Dogood") interested in environmental sustainability. Verde are interested in promoting organic tuttle farming and fair trade in tuttle. Verde is from the Global North, trained in agriculture. As a recent graduate and without family obligations, Verde has an active social life half way through a two-year posting to Poorland. Verde is based in Bigugly, in an old and somewhat bohemian part of town, now a bit decrepit, but often travels through the country to visit villages where current or future projects are planned. Dogood gets its resources from donors in Canda and from the bilateral aid organization Canpoo, and may also be eligible for some World Bank funding. Verde is English speaking but has enrolled in conversational Poorish classes.

Arriba, works for a Poorland NGO (called "Poorgood"), which follows the trends in international donor support. Like Gob, Arriba has an advanced degree from Poorland University but has found it difficult to find permanent employment. Thus, Arriba joined a group of friends in similar circumstances who have founded an NGO. They rely on creating ties with international donors (multi-lateral, bilateral, NGOs, they don't really care) to get work and their income is very unstable. Arriba can read well in English (since most University reading is in that language) and is building oral skills. Arriba lives in a small city in the highlands, Smallugly, about 300 km from Bigugly, but travels often to Bigugly to visit potential donors as well as to villages in the highlands and lowlands where Poorgood might carry out projects.

Dew, is a young person from Canda who happened to spend some time in Villachica while on an extended backpacking trip around the continent. Dew very much enjoyed being in Villachica since the people were so pleasant despite Dew’s poor language skills in Poorish. Dew was shocked that so much time was spent by Villachiqueños hanging about talking to the others in line for water from the spring and carrying it home. If they could spend that time more productively, Dew thinks they might be able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. While Dew has no background in development studies, Dew is well intentioned and has decided to raise money from friends, neighbours and local business community in Canda to provide Villachica homes with potable tap water.

Crece, a Poorland highland peasant from Villachica who depends on subsistence agriculture and some market production for a living. Crece’s extended family includes some who grow tuttle bushes in the jungle, others who work in the wormite mines and others who have migrated to work in the informal sector in Bigugly. Crece and others in the village of Villachica have joined together to form a community based organization (called "Vida") to help support local development. Crece only speaks Poorish.

Urb, whose parents were from Villachica, but they lived all their working lives in wormite mining towns and in Bigugly. Urb works in Bigugly, but frequently visits Villachica for fiestas where there is a family home. Urb’s parents, now retired with a pension from Urb’s father’s work in the mine, live between Villachica and Bigugly. Urb’s parents and Urb sponsor fiestas and generally derive identity and prestige from their work in the village. Their incomes and pension, while higher than those of most villagers, are not sufficient for them to have much impact in the city. While Urb likes visiting Villachica to feel important, the lack of good running water and sanitation is uncomfortable. Urb speaks Poorish and some basic school-learned English.

Bizzy lives in Villachica but commutes daily to a wormite mine where he has a contract job. Unlike Urb’s father, Bizzy’s job is less secure and less well paid. Still, it provides monetary income that is necessary to cover his children’s school costs and to pay for food and so Bizzy’s wife Bizzier grows a bit of food on some land, but hates working in the field. Bizzy and Bizzier would really like jobs with good incomes. They both speak Poorish.

Steemy is from Villachica but has land in the jungle (bought with Steemy’s father’s wages from working in the mine alongside Urb’s father) on which tuttle is grown for the local market. The quality of the tuttle plants on this land is not high, but Steemy cannot afford to replace them. Steemy frequently visits Villachica to see family and friends, exchange agricultural goods with them and to escape the heat and malaria-bearing mosquitoes of the jungle. Steemy’s parents have land in Villachica that one day will be divided among Steemy and their other children. Steemy likes farming and has also worked in a variety of other jobs, including a contract in wormite. Steemy speaks Poorish.

Pollo is an anthropologist, and is from Canda. Pollo has a PhD and is a professor at a Candian university. Pollo wants to begin a new research project on development in Poorland. What should Pollo study?