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 security crisis in the northern and central regions of Mali has greatly affected the regions of Mopti and Timbuktu, forcing banks and microfinance institutions to move further south. As a result, agricultural producers in the regions have found themselves without any financial institutions to finance their inputs.

Women entrepreneurs in Mali are getting the support they need to take risks, challenge the status quo, access credit and manage their businesses. Cissé Fanta Bah is an agrifood processor and the president of a women producers’ organization called Ton Kamono. She is one of the many rural women benefiting from a USAID mentoring program in the town of Bankass located in the district of Mopti.

A rich combination of roasted red bell peppers and garlic infused with generous amounts of olive oil, ajvar is the most popular dip in countries of the former Yugoslavia. With such a winning product, it should be easy for Vori — one of Macedonia’s largest exporters of ajvar — to borrow funds to increase production and expand its export base

Vasyl Telep has become a driver of change in his community and a role model for other Ukrainian youth. Last year, a youth forum helped him to put his talents to work and realize his vision for greater local prosperity.

Oksana Borodachova, an English teacher from the city of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, couldn’t imagine her life without teaching. In 2015, when her family moved from Luhansk to Kharkiv due to conflict in the region, she expected the move to be temporary and that she would return home to her favorite job soon thereafter. But after six months, it became clear that her family would be in Kharkiv longer than initially expected.

At first, she did not want to be the only person in a wheelchair in this small village, so she decided that once she was back home, she would stay in her room. However, after nine months of physical therapy and psychological support from the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation in Fond-des-Blancs, Charlisena's outlook began to change. She came to terms with her condition and, last year, decided to return to her hometown and resume school. 

Six days a week, Laine provides routine care to inpatients and outpatients just like Lubin. The patients receive care twice each day, in the morning and afternoon. In addition, once a week, together with a social worker, nurse and biomedical equipment technician, she visits patients in their homes to provide additional medical, psychosocial and material support. Laine ensures patients have the basics necessary to live as normal a life as possible and provides them literature, tips and exercises.

Making the move from an administrative job in the Netherlands to growing blueberries in western Kosovo has had its ups and downs for Besnik Lila. In Kosovo, blueberries are currently grown on a modest 50 hectares in total, over six different production zones involving 20 growers.

August 2018 — Emina Subašić is one of 100 unemployed people receiving the chance to learn new skills to get a good job — and stay in Bugojno, in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they have family, friends and history. For Subašić, the training has made all the difference.

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