I think your concerns are valid, but if knowledge about development economics increase, even if it's not applicable to "rich" countries, this is a good thing.

I'm a donor, and they had a program where they gave cash to poor people in Kenia and the people explained what they did with the money. It was a very interesting reading.

For instance, one of the first, and one of the most common, things people bought was a metallic roof for their home in order to fix leaking. That's something that I, in my urban ignorance, would never predict.

Other common investments were: paying the debt with their children's school, a cow, basic furniture or starting a small business.