Transforming Lives

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.

The International Development community mourns the loss of Chief Nyamphande IV, a traditional chief of the Nsenga Tribe of Zambia, who passed away suddenly on January 17th, 2020. Chief Nyamphande was a celebrated land champion known for his promotion of women’s land rights and access to land for all people across Zambia. An important USAID partner, Chief Nyamphande contributed to numerous national development efforts over the course of his career, and his leadership offered a model of good governance for customary land.

With four lively kids, Ihunwo wasn’t too worried when 7-year-old Winner fell while playing at their home in the Obio Akpor local governance area of Rivers state, Nigeria. Winner later developed a lump on her back and, although it looked strange, it didn’t initially hurt much, so Ihunwo dismissed it as “just a bump.”

October 2018 — Belène Alexandre, 31, one of the two supervisory lawyers providing legal assistance at the St. Marc Legal Aid Office, is only too aware of how easy it is for those who can’t afford a lawyer to get lost within the Haitian justice system, and she has made it her life’s work to help them reclaim their rights.

Malaria is the leading cause of sickness and death in Uganda. Prevention, correct diagnosis and treatment are crucial to reduce malaria cases and mortality as well as lower the risk of resistance to antimalarial medicines and decrease medicine waste and misuse. However, due to inappropriate practices in malaria testing and treatment, many patients are treated incorrectly, receiving unnecessary or wrong medications.

After graduating at the top of her class in Tanzania with a degree in community development, Ummi Shaib expected to find a position in social work. But three years into her job search, she faced rejection after rejection. With employment opportunities seemingly hopeless, and under mounting pressure from her family, Shaib decided to marry so she could “at least have a husband to depend on.”

Oumar Guindo used to work as a basic veterinary assistant, helping his supervisor veterinarian, Laya Togo, conduct vaccination campaigns and other livestock treatments in the Mopti region of Mali. Since they did not have a service delivery plan in place for these campaigns, they could not achieve a big success.

The Federation of Fruit Planters of Lower Guinea is composed of 1,052 fruit producers, including 209 women. While pineapple is their main crop, they also produce banana, mango and citrus fruit as well as oil palm and cashew. The federation — whose members are located in the prefectures of Kindia, Forécariah, Coyah, Dubréka, Boffa and Boke — has many resources to aid production: a suitable climate and soils, fertile land, and agronomic research centers located in the region to support further development of the fruit sector.

October 2018 — The security dynamics and economic situation of Chad’s Lac region remain fragile: The Chad-Nigeria border is closed for commerce and approximately 108,000 people have been displaced by the Boko Haram/Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-West Africa conflict.

Since 2016, the region has been able to increase school enrollment and literacy at the primary level with support from the international community. However, middle and high school students have had limited access to classroom education, reading materials, and cultural and scholarly activities.

In South Sudan’s far north, the Nile River port town of Renk has long been a crossing point for people heading north or south, sometimes fleeing conflict, sometimes heading back to their home areas during times of peace. Many people have become stranded there, as they lack even the modest funds needed to complete their journey.

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