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Archives for USAID

Nigeria @ 50: Partnership with USAID

Posted by  on Thursday, September 30th 2010     

USAID is helping farmers' organizations, like this group in Kano, Nigeria, to plant and harvest higher-yielding crops. These women have boosted their incomes by producing more cowpeas than in previous years. Photo Credit:Ann Fleuret, USAID/Nigeria

In 1960, the face of Africa changed, as more than a dozen countries seized their futures and became independent nations. Nigeria was one of those countries, and the last half century has seen both successes and challenges. While the country’s economy is growing at a good clip, its healthcare and education still lag, and deeply entrenched poverty and unemployment remain two of the greatest obstacles to Nigeria reaching its full potential for development. USAID works in Nigeria to sustain development in the long term, especially in health, education, and economic growth.

Health

Nigeria is making much slower progress on improving health among mothers and children than most other African countries. A million Nigerian children die each year before their fifth birthday, and the maternal mortality rate is among the highest in the world. Nigeria also has one of the highest tuberculosis burdens in the world, and although the HIV/AIDS infection rate is low compared to other parts of Africa, an estimated 3 million Nigerians are still infected. As a result, Nigeria’s life expectancy has declined significantly: in 1991 the average life expectancy was 54 years for women and 53 years for men; by 2009 these figures had fallen to 48 for women and 46 for men.

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This Week at USAID – September 27, 2010

Posted by  on Monday, September 27th 2010     

Administrator Shah will host a development forum with USAID staff at the Ronald Reagan Building.

At the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s Annual Conference, Dr Shah will join a roundtable discussion with senior Administration officials on the new global development policy.

Later in the week, Administrator Shah will speak at the annual conference of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepeneurs, and then will lead a Presidential Delegation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend the 50th Anniversary Independence Celebration.

Frontlines – September 2010

Posted by  on Friday, September 24th 2010     

Read the latest edition of USAID’s premier publication, FrontLines for these stories:

Isabel Carpio Chami and the new generation of Embera-Wounaan

Isabel Carpio Chami and the new generation of Embera-Wounaan


Read these stories and more in the new issue of FrontLines.

If you would like to automatically receive FrontLines every month, you can subscribe here .

USAID @ UNGA: Science and Technology Forum Preview

Posted by  on Tuesday, September 21st 2010     

Submitted by Ellis Rubinstein
President and CEO, The New York Academy of Sciences

USAID and its Administrator, Rajiv Shah, are onto something big: science, technology and innovation dedicated to the challenges of the Developing World.

During my decade as Editor of Science followed by another eight years at the New York Academy of Sciences, I have heard more than my fill of speeches about the value to the world of “curiosity-driven research”—the endeavors by basic scientists to answer puzzles that excite them without the slightest sense of whether they will have an application in the world as we know it.

There is no question that such research has not infrequently revolutionized our understanding of things that led, in turn, to advancements applicable to the challenges of society at large. But because this sort of fundamental inquiry deserves funding and because young people should be encouraged to follow their curiosity doesn’t mean that there is no place for—or no satisfaction in—research dedicated to the big problems of our planet.

One of the most personally moving experiences I have had in the last decade is to see how many young scientists, engineers, and clinicians are purposely applying their time and energy to make a direct difference to the world.

On Wednesday, September 22, from 2-5 p.m., USAID and the New York Academy of Sciences are partnering to present the “Science, Technology and Innovation Forum” —a celebration of the success of a set of brilliant and dedicated innovators who have developed ingenious, high-impact, affordable, and sustainable solutions to Developing World problems.

In addition, the New York Academy of Sciences will describe the new open-innovation platform it is creating on its Scientists Without Borders website so that individuals, governments, NGOs, and companies can launch challenges that would incentivize solutions that could make a pronounced difference in  the lives of hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens.

An extraordinary group of experts and leaders have signed up to participate in this event, and it is my greatest hope that the blog postings that USAID and others develop after the event will trigger more challenges and more solutions to the Developing World.

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Pipeline to Prosperity: Creating Sustainable Partnerships for Minority Businesses

Posted by  on Friday, September 17th 2010     

Submitted by Mauricio Vera

Today I spoke at the Congressional Black Caucus conference on a panel entitled “Pipeline to Prosperity: Creating Sustainable Partnerships for Minority Businesses”. The event was hosted by Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the audience consisted primarily of small and minority business owners. I enjoy participating in these events to hear from the firms about their experiences working with USAID or to share information with new firms about the nature of our development work.

At today’s session, I provided a brief overview of USAID and then talked about how we contract out for goods and services. I spoke about the services that my office, the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) provides. We are the advocates for small, minority, women-owned, HUBZone, and veteran owned businesses who are seeking to do business with the agency. USAID follows the Federal Acquisition Regulations and most of our work is performed overseas through task orders off of large Indefinite Quantity Contracts. OSDBU has an aggressive outreach program, we organize monthly vendor outreach sessions where small businesses spend a half day with us learning how to do business with USAID. We also constantly look for other opportunities to meet and dialogue with small businesses and this is an integral part of our internal outreach plan.

“USAID Forward” is a series of new operational reforms undertaken by our leadership and includes Procurement Reform as one of its key strategies. A key objective of the procurement reform strategy is to increase competition and broaden our partner base which includes increasing the use of U.S. small and minority businesses both as prime and subcontractors. We’ve set aggressive targets for both our domestic as well as our overseas contract awards. Transparency and accountability are key components of this reform strategy. Finally, our Mentor Protégé Program assists small businesses in formalizing collaborative partnerships with our large prime contractors

USAID’s Afghanistan Director to lead Egypt Mission

Posted by  on Thursday, September 16th 2010     

James A. Bever, formerly the Director of the Independent Office of Afghanistan-Pakistan Affairs for the U.S. Agency for International Development, was sworn in today as the Director of the Agency’s Mission to Egypt by Administrator Shah. Photo Credit: USAID/Patricia Adams

James A. Bever, formerly the Director of the Independent Office of Afghanistan-Pakistan Affairs for the U.S. Agency for International Development, was sworn in today as the Director of the Agency’s Mission to Egypt.

“This is a key time for our mission in Egypt,” said USAID’s Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah.  “Our relationship with Egypt is an important one so we are sending one of our most talented leaders to oversee this program.

Bever holds the rank of Minister Counselor in the Senior Foreign Service, and has extensive experience in international development in the Islamic belt of the Middle East, North Africa/Sahel, South Asia and East Asia.

Previously, Bever served as Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Middle East, providing leadership for $2.5 billion in U.S. assistance to the Middle East and North Africa where he lead the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

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USAID Eases Hardships of Haiti’s Earthquake Survivors

Posted by  on Tuesday, September 14th 2010     

After the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, an estimated 1.5 million people were displaced from their homes. Approximately 100,000 earthquake survivors fled Port-au-Prince to Haiti’s Central Plateau.

While the area was one of the country’s poorest regions even before the earthquake, it’s seen an influx of survivors who’ve come to live with family and friends, straining already limited resources.

To ease the hardships in the Central Plateau, USAID partner Mercy Corps is providing immediate financial assistance through cash-for-work programs for both the displaced earthquake survivors and the families who took them in.

With USAID/OFDA support, Mercy Corps is providing livelihood opportunities to 2,000 people per week in the Central Plateau. An additional 20,000 people are on track to benefit from the cash-for-work program.

These projects give a member of each household 30 days of employment on a community-selected project geared at improving infrastructure or agricultural production, such as rehabilitating roads, farmland or irrigation systems. Some have used their salary and tools from the programs to start more sustainable small businesses.

Under USAID’s Food Security Program in Haiti, Mercy Corps will also provide food vouchers to 100,000 in the Central Plateau and Lower Artibonite region. This new initiative provides grants, cash or vouchers to buy desperately needed food.

In the town of Mirebalais, Mercy Corps employs Haitians to clear debris from canals and other public spaces to mitigate flooding during hurricane season. Watch a video on this important program.

View photos of Mercy Corps’ work in Mirebalais on Facebook and Flickr.

This Week at USAID – September 13, 2010

Posted by  on Monday, September 13th 2010     

Administrator Shah will participate in the State Department’s Conversations with America webcast series.  Dr. Shah and the president and CEO of the advocacy group ONE, David Lane, will talk about  global development opportunities and challenges on the eve of the Millennium Development Goals summit.

Agency officials will take part in the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation Annual Legislative Conference.  On the 17th, Administrator Shah will speak to CBC Africa Braintrust.  Other speakers include: Paul Weisenfield at the Forum “Haiti:  Finding the Path to Redevelopment”, Sharon Cromer at the Panel “Africa Command and U.S. Relations” and Mauricio Vera at the Minority Business Development session.  This conference is open press.

From the Field

Posted by  on Monday, September 13th 2010     
  • In Albania, we are supporting competitiveness in the fashion industry.  USAID’s business development project will hold a series of workshops in September on competitiveness-related topics following a USAID-sponsored trip in August to the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair.  The timing of these workshops also coincides with the launch of 5 websites and other communication materials supported by USAID that will increase awareness of Albania’s garment industry and the potential for investments.
  • Also in Albania, we are opening Albania’s first Underwater Park.  With the help of the U.S. Navy, Albania is sinking some of its rusting, Communist era ships off its touristic Southern coast in an effort to attract divers and tourists.  USAID’s Competitive Enterprise Development program will work with local businesses to capitalize on this unique opportunity to build marketable tourist attractions and support Albania’s tourism industry.
  • In Nepal, we are launching a five-year Combating Trafficking in Person (CTIP) program.  Coinciding with National Anti-trafficking Day, USAID’s new anti-trafficking program will be launched amidst a field-based event in a trafficking prone district. The program is designed to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute traffickers in six high-volume trafficking districts in Nepal.
  • In the Dominican Republic, the Major League Baseball Dominican Development Alliance (MLB-DDA), teamed up with the Major League Baseball Players Trust on September 9 to help provide medicine and vitamins for children, organize a network of 36 health promoters, and establish pharmacies in 20 impoverished sugar cane communities in the Barahona province. The health promoters will work to support the health and wellbeing of all community members.

USAID in the News

Posted by  on Friday, September 10th 2010     

It was a lively week for USAID in the media as several prominent outlets featured our work in different regions of the world, showcasing the great variety of ways in which which the Agency helps bring hope to people around the globe.

National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” featured a piece on efforts to assist in building up the civil service “surge” in Afghanistan that prominently featured Mission Director Earl Gast in Kabul and AfPak Office Acting Director Alex Their.

Fox News reported on USAID’s job-creation program for Iraq and how it benefits security. The story quoted USAID’s Mission Director in Iraq, Alex Dickie, and several beneficiaries of the program.

MarkWard, Acting Director of the Office of Disaster Assistance, took part in a round-table for Pakistani media concerning the ongoing flood response, where USAID continues to play a key role.  Among those who covered it were the Associated Press of Pakistan and the widely-read English-language Daily Times.

And Nature Medicine magazine published a full-page Q&A with Administrator Shah covering food security, agriculture, science and technology, lessons learned in Haiti and the importance of the Millennium Development Goals — a particularly timely topic in the lead-up to the crucial MDG discussions to be held at the UN General Assembly later this month.

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