dinosaur101

Did you go to Mozambique with a NGO or on your own? If so, what sort of misconceptions did you have about development work before arriving? Has your perspective changed at all and how? What skills do you as an engineer feel are the most valuable in your work now?

Sorry for the deluge of questions - I am an engineering student who is interested in working in development and so I am very curious to hear about your experiences.

Thank you so much for such a detailed answer. I actually work with a development organization at my university and I've learned quite a bit about 'dead aid' and other reasons why most aid is quite ineffective. It can definitely be discouraging to read about and to see so much failure in an industry, but I still think that if aid is given intelligently to grassroots organizations that are working with and enabling their African partners, it can be effective.

If you're willing to answer another question, I would be very interested in hearing what your opinion is about foreign investment in developing countries. Do you think that investing in African companies and buying African products would help bring people out of poverty? I mean, we invest in our own country's companies and buy our own local products to support our own economies, so do you think consumers could play a role in alleviating poverty by buying African-made products? Or do you think that would create more harm than good?

Hi Amy! I’m a huge Parks and Rec fan – I’ve been having a tough time with some mental health issues recently, but discovering and watching every season of your show over the past few months brought me the most laughs I have had in a really long time. Thank you for that!

Now, onto my question(s): You strongly identify as a feminist in a lot of your media and print appearances. Was there a specific point in time when you decided that label was a good fit for you? What inspired that decision? Do you think that working in male-dominated fields such as the comedy/film/TV industries has affected what feminism means to you?

Hey guys, I'm a big fan from Canada! I'd love to see you live at some point. I was wondering - how did you come up with the name 'Bombay Bicycle Club'? Also, what is your songwriting process like?