Speeches Shim
Every day, all over the world, USAID brings peace to those who endure violence, health to those who struggle with sickness, and prosperity to those who live in poverty. It is these individuals — these uncounted thousands of lives — that are the true measure of USAID’s successes and the true face of USAID's programs.
Tucked away at the back of the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf in Kingston, Jamaica, sits the quaint E3 Café, home of Deaf Can! Coffee. With a megawatt smile and warm welcome, 21-year-old Fabian Jackson eagerly greets his customers and directs them to a board with instructions on how to order coffee.
This year the Kankor Examination, Afghanistan’s high-stakes university entry exam, had an unprecedented 169,529 students complete the test. Reza Rafat, a participant in USAID’s Kankor preparation program, had the highest score in the country.
Every year, dozens of mothers and children die from preventable illnesses and health conditions in Afghanistan, a land-locked country with among the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally. Most of these deaths occur because of lack of access to health services and low levels of awareness to key health and hygiene practices in rural communities. Complications and potential deaths may be averted through maternal and child health awareness campaigns.
After founding the Sahib Zaman Carpet Manufacturer Co. in Kabul in 2008, they found their success hampered by the poor availability of wool yarn. Unable to invest in more spinning machines to employ more spinners, the company had no choice but to rely on costly, low-quality wool yarn imported from Pakistan.
Each week in southern Haiti, Lucamène Chéry puts on her uniform and stocks her market stall with local vegetables. Shoppers filter past, selecting products for their families. In exchange for the produce, Chéry accepts a unique form of payment—food vouchers—which allows the most vulnerable members of the community to access nutritious foods that they would otherwise be unable to afford.
Wildlife crime is on the rise throughout sub-Saharan Africa and, with over 20 national parks and 34 game management areas, Zambia is not immune. Accounting for over 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, Zambia’s tourism industry is under threat from poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking.
September 2017—Stanley Kimeli has seen his harvest double since joining a local youth group in western Kenya called Kilima Tumaini, or Mount Hope. With only a primary school education, he did not know how to farm profitably before joining the group in 2007.
Although the region is known as the breadbasket of Kenya, local small-scale farmers like Kimeli have not always had the resources or opportunities to compete with larger growers in major commercial agricultural markets.
The deep green forests of Songkhone district in Laos’s Savannakhet province are attractive to look at, and draw a lot of attention from villagers who forage and hunt between the trees. Long days looking for wild pigs, birds, grasshoppers and bamboo to feed the family stretch into the night, and people often sleep in the forest.
Since February 2017, USAID, through its Maternal and Child Survival Program, has supported the institute’s School of Midwifery. The program helps fill critical teaching gaps by supporting faculty salaries and fostering a quality learning environment.
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