Volume Three, Issue Seventeen

Fall Semester: Virtual Classroom on Mobile Money

As a part of our fall semester, Priya Jaisinghani, director of USAID's Mobile Solutions Team, hosted a video chat to discuss mobile money's transformation of development.

In a world with 500,000 bank branches and 4 billion phones, mobile money can help increase access to financial services, root out corruption and improve governance.

Learn more about the Fall Semester @ USAID.

Community Building in the Central African Republic  

This Wednesday, USAID announced a new award that will help communities in the Central African Republic (CAR) reduce their vulnerability to violence from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).  The Secure, Empowered, Connected Communities (SECC) program will support communities to develop and implement security plans and reduce their isolation and vulnerability through communications technology and skills building.  The three-year award advances community-driven solutions to complex and enduring problems.  The program will be implemented by Catholic Relief Services.

For over two decades, the LRA terrorized communities, abducted civilians, and forced children to become soldiers across northern Uganda.  Since the LRA was driven out of Uganda in 2006, northern Uganda has undergone a remarkable transformation due in part to sustained support from USAID. While the LRA has been weakened, it continues to pose a deadly threat to the communities in the region bordering the CAR, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Republic of South Sudan.   

Citizen Security in Latin America

On Tuesday, USAID's Enrique Roig moderated a web chat in Spanish on a community's role in citizensecurity.

Individuals throughout the Western Hemisphere tweeted questions on topics such as at-risk youth, rehabilitation for gang members, government and police involvement, and international efforts.

Learn more about USAID's programming in Latin America and the Caribbean.  

Global Impact Investing

This week, USAID announced a new collaboration to promote impact investing with the Omidyar Network and the Rockefeller Foundation through the Global Impact Investing Network.  The effort supports research and field-building activities that can help further generate positive measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.  

USAID in the News

Still can't get enough of USAID? Here are a few news items from the past week. The World Food Program interviews USAID Administrator Shah about his efforts to end global Hunger. Despite the faces of suffering that he has seen, Rajiv Shah, Administrator for USAID, remains optimistic about our ability to end hunger for the world's most vulnerable populations. Shah participated in panel at the State Department along with Secretary Clinton and Grammy-award singer Christina Aguilera during the 11th Annual George McGovern Leadership Awards Ceremony. 

Also, NPR is talking about Shehzad Roy, one of Pakistan's most popular signers who rocketed to fame in the 1990s and he became a favorite among Pakistani elites. Roy has moved away from dance tunes and now sings political songs about his charities work in poor public schools.

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Check out the Impact Blog to stay updated on the latest information about USAID programs in Washington and around the world. Read stories from the field, hear from development experts, and view weekly photos and videos of development in action. You can also join the conversation on social media!