In her 2009 book, Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is Another Way for Africa, Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo likens foreign aid dependence to a destructive chemical addiction. The notion that aid can alleviate systemic poverty and has done so, is a myth,” reads the book in part. Wealthier nations are facing their own domestic economic pressures, forcing major cuts in foreign assistance. My take is that rather than clutching at straws and banking on aid, Malawi must convert these cuts into an opportunity to build true economic sovereignty. What Malawi needs in these circumstances is trade, productivity and investment—not aid handouts.