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.
March 2016—Following the violence of the 2010 presidential elections, many Ivorian women were reluctant to take part in the electoral process after experiencing traumatic events, including forced displacement, rape and killings. These women had come to consider elections as synonymous with trouble.
Up until the 1990s, between 500 and 1,000 children on average were paralyzed by polio in India every day. With support from USAID, the CORE Group Polio Project began helping India to eradicate polio in 1999. The project trained community mobilization coordinators to encourage mothers and families to immunize their children against polio.
The radio programs, which are supported by USAID’s Peace Through Development II project, employ sketches and mini-dramas to broach sensitive topics, and recently added full-length soap operas to their repertoire. While fictional, the dramas are designed to mirror society and engage listeners with relatable storylines reflecting their own hopes and struggles. The stories also demonstrate strategies to help listeners resolve conflicts and overcome obstacles in their own lives.
During the Muslim festival of Eid-el-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), known as Tabaski in West Africa, most households sacrifice a ram or bull. Livestock markets are bustling, and over a million animals are transported and sold across the region in the weeks leading up to this important Islamic holiday.
Imagine living in one of the most biodiverse regions in West Africa, but not being able to reap the benefits of your environment.
In southern Afghanistan, years of war and insecurity have widowed many women. Without a male head of household, women are not able to leave the home to access economic opportunities.
February 2016—Transitions from authoritarian rule to multiparty democracy are often contentious, rocky affairs. But public radio and an organized dose of openness helped Guinea avert violence in 2015 that marred its 2010 election.
Lack of information can quickly spawn destructive rumors and misinformation that fuels conflict. Last October, USAID’s Radio Synergy program trained and deployed more than a 130 journalists in all 33 Guinean prefectures to support communications for the National Independent Electoral Commission.
People leaving in the village of Arijuana in Mozambique's Zambezia province must travel 25 to 50 kilometers on foot to access basic health care. The distance is often too far for the sick to undertake. A new health center in the final stages of construction, however, stands as a testament to perseverance and ingenuity amid a harsh and isolated environment.
Internal conflict left the town of Menaka in northern Mali occupied by a succession of rebel groups for three years. It also left them without electricity.
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