USAID Community Engagement Project (CEP) builds the capacity of community members, municipalities, and NGOs to identify and alleviate stressors affecting the population in order to leave behind stronger, more cohesive and resilient partner communities.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the Turquoise Mountain Trust to showcase traditional Afghan handicrafts entitled Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution's national museums of Asian art in Washington, D.C. The exhibition, which started in March 2016 and runs to January 2017 tells the story of how the traditional artisan community of Murad Khane in Kabul, Afghanistan, was revived through the preservation of its traditional architecture. The exhibition allows visitors to interact with Afghan artisans engaged in producing traditional handicrafts. This project helps USAID accomplish its mission of creating jobs, building links between Afghan producers and the international market, and highlights USAID’s support of women in business. The exhibition is a highly visible and tangible USAID success story that enables U.S. audiences to see Afghanistan, in the vision of President Ashraf Ghani, as “open and engaged with the wider world.” After Washington, the exhibition will potentially travel to other museums around the United States and possibly other locations.
Across West Africa, there are critical gaps in health services for key populations (KPs) that are known to be at greater risk of HIV infection, including female sex workers and their clients, and men who have sex with men. PACTE-VIH addresses those gaps by strengthening the human and institutional capacity of national and community-based organizations to plan, coordinate, deliver and monitor service delivery for the targeted populations. The project highlights programs that are evidence-based and replicable, emphasizing the Continuum of Prevention to Care and Treatment Model. PACTE-VIH also promotes the use of mHealth (text messaging) and social media networks.
Government of the Russian Federation (GoRF) airstrikes begin on September 30; increase in conflict displaces thousands. U.S. Government (USG) partners help Syrians prepare for the winter season. 13.5 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance. 6.3 million Syrians remain food-insecure.
Government of Liberia, U.S. Government support response activities linked to recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases in Liberia. Government of Liberia monitors more than 160 contacts remaining under observation through December 11. Guinea completes four consecutive weeks with no new EVD cases. Sierra Leone plans transition of National Ebola Response Center functions to permanent Government of Sierra Leone institutions.
WHO declares the end of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone. Government of Liberia (GoL) reports new confirmed cases of EVD. Guinea completes two consecutive weeks without a new case. Survivor support high priority for UN Special Envoy for Ebola.
Multiple consecutive seasons of below-normal rainfall—exacerbated by the effects of El Niño—have resulted in deteriorating agricultural, livestock, food security, and nutrition conditions in northeastern and central Ethiopia. By early 2016, the UN anticipates that 15 million people will require emergency food assistance and 350,000 children will need treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM); critical needs in drought-affected areas will also require humanitarian agricultural, health, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.
The West Africa Trade and Investment Hub (Trade Hub), launched in March 2014, works in close coordination with a network of West African private sector partners and public institutions to reduce poverty, raise incomes, add jobs and increase food security by expanding trade through: Value-added exports (shea, cashews, mangoes, apparel) and Regional trade in key agricultural commodities, including staple grains (rice, millet/ sorghum, maize) and livestock (cattle, sheep, goats)
The Food Across Borders Program (ProFAB) grew out of the USAID-sponsored Food Across Borders Conference in January 2013. Participants agreed on a region-wide technical agenda, referred to as the Accra Agenda, which identified primary barriers to trade in staple agricultural commodities. Public and private sector representatives highlighted five central barriers: road harassment, export restrictions, rules of origin, clarity of sanitary/phyto-sanitary veterinary regulations, and taxation. Hub Rural and CILSS have played an important role in building the foundation for launching ProFAB as part of the Accra Agenda.
The April and May 2015 earthquakes in Nepal destroyed or significantly damaged over 755,000 homes, making housing the single largest reconstruction need and the Government of Nepal’s (GON) highest priority. USAID/Nepal is funding a number of complementary initiatives to help meet this need and support the GON’s owner-driven housing reconstruction efforts.
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.