People’s perception of their ability to meet their needs and the level of autonomy they feel they can exert over their own lives directly correlates with community development. This stands true for nutrition – where the links between a women’s autonomy and nutritional outcomes have been repeatedly proven. This paper assesses a World Bank model of public private partnership in relation to local perceptions of poverty and autonomy. It asks: What are the dilemmas facing international development agencies that try to leverage private sector investor together with government money for development assistance? And, How are poor people impacted by the particular case study example of a Bank PPP? It shows how local people must always be at the center of PPPs and the risk of overlooking them.
