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.

According to the International Labor Organization, Albania ranked first in the world this year in youth unemployment. Youth have expressed discontent with the government for not meeting its obligation to them by effectively implementing the National Action Plan 2015-2020, which was designed “to develop and coordinate cross sectoral policies in education, employment, health, culture and enhance youth participation in social life and decision making processes.”  

Since she was a child, Elvira Xhemalaj has been fascinated with nature. She grew up in the Albanian coastal city of Vlore, which is situated along the lush Albanian Riviera between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, separated only by a mountain pass. Growing up surrounded by fauna and flora led her to study biology at a local college.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Як керівник громадської організації «Спаський простір» та депутат сільської ради, восени 2016 року він подав заявку на участь у програмі «Академія політичного лідерства» (АПЛ), яка надає широкому колу політичних і громадських активістів змогу взяти участь у серії семінарів з цілої низки питань – таких, як адвокація (захист інтересів громадян), поглиблення знань у сфері лідерства, комунікативні навички та сучасні методи ведення виборчих кампаній.  Ця програма проводилася в Україні організацією «Міжнародний республіканський інститут» (МРІ) у 2015-2016 рр.

Pages