The capital of Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, runs on aid. A city built in the 1970s by the World Bank, Lilongwe’s straight streets are filled with charities, development agencies and government offices. Informal villages house cooks and cleaners for foreign officials; the entrance to each is marked with the flag of its national sponsor. Over the past five decades, policymakers have reached a division of labour: Britain funds schools, Japan backs energy projects, Europe supports agriculture and Ireland nurtures a cottage industry of justice activists. In the health ministry, maintained with Chinese money, doors are labelled by donor, not department. Many read “USAID”.