This project is developed within a PhD scholarship with the funding reference 101041788.

International development projects have traditionally adhered to a linear trajectory, driven by aspirations of progress and aimed at improving the well-being of populations in less wealthy regions. Success or failure evaluations have limited the narrative to two polarized outcomes. Nevertheless, life unfolds in myriad ways between these extremes, and the temporalities of development interventions often extend far beyond their initial lifespan. Overlooked are the unintended consequences, leaving behind tangible and intangible traces, experienced as Afterlives by local communities in unexpected ways.

As project funds deplete or management changes, places of intervention are abandoned, factories close, and relinquishing the developer's sole narrative. Local actors subsequently inhabit, utilize, and re-appropriate these places, profoundly altering their perception and meaning. Understanding the phenomenology of past interventions' afterlives necessitates a spatial research methodology that engages with the intangible remnants of past involvement within the lives and experiences of those inhabiting such places. Current evaluation methodologies prioritize bottom-line results, often marginalizing intangible elements that resist easy materialization. This limitation becomes pronounced in contexts where multiple layered narratives coexist, as existing evaluation tools tend to separate and distance them from the place.

This research proposal centres on Israel's extensive development project in Kenya, stemming  from strong diplomatic relations since the country's independence. The Kibwezi Irrigation Farm, a prominent case study, embodies multiple temporalities and narratives. This planned research explores how spatial narratives can uncover people's untold stories and layered connections with places. By situating this study within the intricate context of Kenya, the proposal seeks to unveil the complex interactions between development interventions, their Afterlives, and the intricate relationship of these places with local communities. The research envisions an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from spatial theory, phenomenology, and socio-cultural studies, to develop innovative methodologies that acknowledge the fluidity and fragility of intangible narratives. By transcending conventional evaluation paradigms, we aspire to establish a more comprehensive understanding of the profound impact of development projects on place-making and local identity.

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