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.

Audio recording technology and inter-agency collaboration have strengthened Albania’s court system.

Oleh* lives in a small town in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia oblast and studies at a local vocational school. He comes across as a regular guy, but he is far from ordinary. Oleh’s life changed last year when he came into conflict with law enforcement soon after entering vocational school, stealing a phone left unattended at a supermarket cashier desk.

Ernest Masereka, a voluntary community health worker from Rutoke village in Uganda, understands the benefits of open dialogue. He first introduced his community to the idea of forming a village health club in December 2017. Village health clubs provide forums where community members can disseminate important messages and address issues, such as sanitation, health and savings. Collectively, members of the club come up with action plans and provide local solutions for the challenges their community faces.

In 1882, the Government of Absynnia (now Ethiopia) gifted one of its iconic zebras to President of France Jules Grevy. The exotic animal was then recognized as its own species of zebra and given the name Grevy’s zebra. This species of zebra is identified and differentiated from other zebra species by its fine close-set stripes, white belly, and large ears, among other traits.

To improve the effectiveness of Albania’s public sector, in 2012 USAID’s Planning and Local Governance Project partnered with Co-PLAN Institute for Habitat Development, an Albanian NGO dedicated to sustainable urban planning, to research on how Albanian cities can apply new financial instruments, such as land value capture, to increase revenues. 

The village of Bankass in the Mopti region of Mali was once known for its excellent millet and sorghum production. Nowadays, however, the impact of weather fluctuations is felt throughout the country, especially in areas like Bankass with low rainfall and weak soil.

As the head of the civil society organization Spaske Space and a member of the Spaske Village Council in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk oblast, Kuchma applied to participate in USAID’s Political Leadership Academy (PLA) in autumn 2016. The PLA brings together diverse political and civic activists for a series of advanced training workshops on topics such as advocacy, advanced leadership, communication skills, and modern techniques for election campaigning. The academy was organized by the International Republican Institute in 2015-2016.

Irina Yurchenko of the Belarus city of Vitebsk has always harbored a passion for design and retail. After earning her university degree in design, she participated in several international clothing design competitions, which ultimately led to her working at one of Vitebsk’s premier fashion studios.

The saying “land does not deceive anyone” has become the motto of Alassane Berthe, a farmer who works on the lush green landscape in Sanoubougou village located in Mali’s southern region of Sikasso. While many young people in the region are tempted by urban migration, or work in traditional gold mining sites where they risk their lives, Berthe decided to stay with his family and invest in the land.

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