Biographies and Health Development in the Global South between Transnational Aid Artifacts and Local Communities

This work wants to put under investigation the intersection of care and cosmopolitan solidarity within the context of transnational collaborations between international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and local communities. Grounded in biographical and ethnographic research conducted at the Nyololo Hospital in rural Tanzania, our work explores care as a fundamental dimension of social experience. The study interrogates how care practices emerge within the framework of global solidarity, reconfiguring traditional boundaries between local and external actors. By focusing on the lived experiences of volunteers, the research wants to shed a light on how care fosters new social identities while simultaneously revealing underlying power dynamics. The Nyololo Hospital is framed as a 'solidarity artifact,' representing both the material and symbolic outcomes of transnational engagement. Furthermore, the research critically reflects on the ethical implications of global interventions in local communities, underscoring the necessity of balancing external support with the empowerment of local actors. By scrutinizing the intersection of global care ethics and local realities, this work problematizes the notion that cosmopolitan solidarity can seamlessly promote socially sustainable development or mitigate structural inequalities. Instead, it highlights the tensions and challenges inherent in balancing global interventions with local empowerment, raising critical questions about the potential for such initiatives to address deep-rooted social disparities effectively.