Beyond Good Intentions ─ A Journey into the Realities of International Aid

Young and idealistic, Tori Hogan travels to Kenya as an intern for Save the Children, intent upon doing her part to improve the lives of refugees. But the cynicism of a young African boy changes Tori's life and sets her on a course to reconsider everything she thought she knew about helping those in need.

Years later, Tori returns to Africa and embarks on a journey through Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, searching for the truth about what does and does not work in international aid. While there are glimmers of hope along the way, she discovers an aid industry mired in waste, ineffective solutions imposed by well-intentioned outsiders, and humanitarian efforts that do more harm than good.

Beyond Good Intentions is both a moving story of one woman's personal journey and an urgent call to arms to change the way we offer aid overseas. Tori's candid reflections on international aid shine a light on our ability to improve the lives of others, often in ways we would never expect.

Tori Hogan is the founder and director of Beyond Good Intentions, an organization that produces films and educational programs on the topic of international aid effectiveness.

Hogan has spent more than a decade immersing herself in the developing world as an aid worker, volunteer, researcher, filmmaker, and aid critic. In 2006, frustrated by the lack of results she was witnessing while working with refugee populations in Africa and the Middle East, she embarked on a yearlong round-the-world journey, meeting with countless aid organizations and recipients to produce a ten-part film series on aid effectiveness, Beyond Good Intentions. Since then, she has dedicated her time to educating young people worldwide about this topic.

Hogan’s endless curiosity about the world has taken her to every continent and to more than seventy-five countries. She received her bachelor's degree from Duke University, went to Egypt on a Fulbright scholarship, where she studied at the American University of Cairo, and obtained an MEd degree in international education policy from Harvard University. Hogan currently lives in San Francisco, but remains a global nomad at heart.