In March 2017, Timor-Leste enacted its national tourism policy, which calls for sustainable environmental development while increasing tourist visits and improving local and national economic opportunities. Through USAID’s Tourism for All Project (“USAID nia Projetu Turizmu Ba Ema Hotu”), Timor-Leste realized its goal of becoming a tourist destination that brings 200,000 foreign tourists annually by…
After six years of chronic instability and a persistent governance and security vacuum, Libyans increasingly frame their aspirations in terms of survival. The Libya Transition Initiative (LTI) III, under USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, fostered stability and public confidence in public institutions, aiming to reinforce Libyan resilience and prevent further political fragmentation. Working in partnership…
Bangladesh made remarkable improvement in population health outcomes, reducing maternal, infant, and under-five mortality rates. Despite these achievements, however, the health system in Bangladesh struggles to provide quality, affordable health services to its population, particularly the poor. Since 1997, Smiling Sun Clinics — the world’s largest NGO network of maternal and child health clinics —…
Angélica Medina is the gender and vulnerable populations expert for the USAID Human Rights Activity (HRA) in Colombia. HRA responds to a history of human rights violations in Colombia by promoting a culture of human rights. Why is social inclusion important for the development of Colombia? Inequality in Colombia has largely overshadowed women’s progress to…
The land tenure challenges that youth face are complex and connected to larger issues of agency, assets, enabling environment, and contribution. Using a deliberate “youth lens” can play a critical role in strengthening young people’s sense of agency when it comes to land. In terms of cultivating awareness of land rights among those in rural…
Deforestation in Haiti is driven by a variety of factors — demand for wood-based fuels, high population density, lack of resources in rural areas, and weak enforcement of natural resource regulations. For communities in Northern Haiti, economic and environmental vulnerabilities have escalated deforestation and reduced forest cover in the region’s watersheds. USAID’s Reforestation Project is…
During the last 10 years, Tajikistan has made great strides in reforming land legislation and increasing knowledge of land-use rights within rural communities. The Feed the Future Tajikistan Land Market Development Activity supported the next wave of reforms by establishing a functional agricultural land market that ensures the orderly transfer of land-use rights in the…
One of the major challenges facing the Lebanese economy is job creation, particularly for youth, university graduates, and women. Private sector job opportunities have not kept pace with the growing number of Lebanese citizens looking for work. To generate private sector employment, USAID’s Lebanon Enterprise Development project helps enterprises expand their activities; increase sales; and…
According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism is one of the fastest growing industries, contributing to employment and stability in almost every part of the world. Since 1975, Chemonics’ inclusive and sustainable development has strengthened tourism in more than 56 countries. Our tourism activities touch upon all five of the UNWTO themes for…
USAID’s investments in Francophone countries of West and Central Africa and Haiti have significantly improved availability of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal and child health (MCH) and family planning (FP) commodities. To further enhance the health commodity security in the region, country leaders need to be empowered with knowledge, tools, and resources to address systemic barriers…
Catherine Kannam is Chemonics’ chief operating officer. Prior to this role, she was the senior vice president (SVP) for Chemonics’ Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan region as well as the SVP for Chemonics’ Gender, Equality, and Social Inclusion and Peace, Stability and Transition technical practices. She also oversaw our unit focused on Office of Transitions…
At Chemonics, we realize that every project is an opportunity to change historical norms for how all individuals participate in and benefit from development. We apply a gender and social inclusion lens to our multi-sector work, acknowledging factors like age, ethnic and religious identities, sexual orientation and gender identity, physical and mental ability, and socioeconomic…