In Liberia, we held a signing ceremony for the signing of the new Education Reform Act, an historic moment for Liberia’s education sector. The signing of this act has a number of implications, chief among them are that by law all basic education (up to grade 9) in Liberia will be free and compulsory, as well as the formation of county school boards that will promote community ownership of, and responsibility for schools and their effectiveness.
In Sri Lanka, the first thirty fish farmers have signed agreements under USAID’s public private alliance to create a new sea bass cage farming initiative. The sea bass cage farming initiative is part of a public-private alliance between Aqua N’ Green and USAID called the Integrated Aquaculture project (IAP). The IAP will help approximately 1,300 small farmers in the Northern and Eastern provinces, over 50% of whom are women, raise and sell sea bass, mussels and oysters on a guaranteed price basis to Aqua N’ Green. Once fully underway, 200 jobs are expected to open up in a fish hatchery, fish cage farming, feed mill and a fish processing plant to be built soon.
In the West Bank, three school bag distribution events were held in the northern, central and southern West Bank. These events provide school bags and other school equipment to needy Palestinian children in advance of the new school year. It is also serves as a goodwill gesture during the Muslim holiday Ramadan.
