International development has been a central aspect of foreign policy from the "developed" to the "less-developed" world for more than fifty years. Despite several trillions of dollars being spent for the ambiguous purpose that is "development," poverty and suffering have yet to be eliminated. With this being the case, existing institutions and processes that are part of "development" need to be analyzed, and the voices of those who are supposedly being helped, heretofore marginalized, need to be accessed in order to find where the fault lies so that it may be addressed. The present study assessed the opinions of a rural community in Nicaragua being served by a small US-based NGO on issues of development, participation, and healthcare.

This was done through interviewing members of the organization and, mainly, through both surveying and interviewing members of the recipient community. Findings show that most of the people in this community very much want to be "developed," and that they are appreciative of any help that they receive.