U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick traveled to the Republics of Kenya and Rwanda and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from April 2 to April 13, 2019.

In Kenya, the Deputy Administrator met with Henry K. Rotich, Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, to discuss strengthening the partnership between our countries, with a particular focus on increasing trade. Deputy Administrator Glick also participated in discussions with East African entrepreneurs who have grown their businesses with assistance from USAID's East Africa Trade Hub, which has facilitated more than $547 million in exports, $169 million in investment deals, and contributed to the creation of more than 45,000 jobs in the region.

In Nairobi, the Deputy Administrator engaged with girls who are benefiting from a program that participates in the Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe Lives (DREAMS) initiative funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. DREAMS sites like the one she visited demonstrate how high-quality health care and health education have helped to prevent the spread of HIV and empower young women with social and economic opportunities.

The Deputy Administrator also traveled with The Honourable Mohamed Kuti, Governor of Isiolo County, to tour a health facility, a livestock market, and an export business funded by USAID that build community resilience to food-insecurity and other shocks and promote economic growth. While in Isolo, the Deputy Administrator launched a resilience program that will work to reach 450,000 vulnerable Kenyans with water, sanitation, and nutrition services in five arid Counties of Northern Kenya through a partnership with the Coca Cola Foundation, IBM Research Labs, and the Swiss Development Corporation. The launch included a ceremony to commemorate a newly built water tower and water kiosk in Isiolo that provide clean water to adult residents and school children.

After departing Nairobi, Deputy Administrator Glick led the U.S. Delegation to the Kwibuka25 activities in Kigali, Rwanda, to demonstrate our solidarity with the Rwandan people as they commemorated the tragedy of their country's genocide, which began 25 years ago this month.

The Deputy Administrator then traveled to Addis Ababa, where she met with senior officials of the Ethiopian Government, including Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen as well as Minister of Agriculture Oumer Hussein Obba, who joined her to launch the Global Food Security Strategy for Ethiopia. A partnership between the U.S. Government's Feed the Future program and the Ethiopian public and private sectors, the Strategy will focus investments in accelerating youth employment; diversifying the economy; and increasing access to finance, food, and medicine in key areas of the country.

The Deputy Administrator then traveled to Dilla to visit an internally displaced persons site and meet with our partners, as well as see USAID's humanitarian response in the region. The Kera Site is currently home to 5,000 people affected by the conflict in Gedeo and West Guji.

In addition, Deputy Administrator Glick participated with Ethiopia's Deputy Attorney General, and Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi in the launch of a new USAID-financed program to strengthen the rule of law. The Deputy Administrator emphasized that transparency, the enforcement of contracts, and a citizen-responsive government are the foundation of sustainable economic growth, and a crucial part of a country's long-term prosperity.

The Deputy Administrator concluded her trip with a town hall at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, where she reiterated USAID's support to maintain and promote the reforms being undertaken by Prime Minister Abiy during this historic moment in Ethiopia.

Throughout her trip, the Deputy Administrator underscored the long-standing of the United States commitment to the citizens of African countries to advance peace, security, democracy, and citizen-responsive governance on their Journeys to Self-Reliance.