Over the past few decades, international development actors have sought models from outside of the traditional donor-implementer paradigm, understanding that innovation in development comes from cooperation and learning. In an attempt to tear down the silos of business, government, and NGOs, the international development community has called on strategies employed by tech incubators and accelerators…
A tropical rainforest covering more than 270,000 square miles, the Peruvian Amazon is an environmental treasure. Beneath the canopy of towering trees is a vast range of plant and animal species that makes Peru one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. With this environmental wealth comes economic opportunity, from the communities that…
With more than 20,000 species of plants and animals native to the country, the Philippines is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Much of this biodiversity is contained in natural forest areas, but these once-lush forests and their biodiversity are degrading at an alarming rate. Over time, the country has lost approximately…
The success of Kenya’s mobile money system, M-PESA, over the past few years has opened many people’s eyes to the potential of digital solutions to expand access to finance. In recent years, global markets have also taken notice in the lucrative opportunity posed by digital financial services or “fintech” (shorthand for the financial technology space).…
In one of the largest Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)+ initiatives of its kind in the world, almost 9,500 Afro-Colombian and indigenous families are rallying around a plan that could preserve the rainforest for the next three decades. The rainforest is well worth preserving, but why now? Known as the Choco Bio-Geographic…
Agriculture is an important part of the Sri Lankan economy, engaging one-third of the working population. However, most farm households have limited knowledge of modern production methods and struggle to access commercial markets. These obstacles constrain their ability to compete in the market and increase their incomes. In response to these challenges, USAID and Chemonics…
Rwanda has ambitious plans to strengthen its health care system by improving patient data management. To this end, Chemonics’ USAID-funded Rwanda Family Health Project is assisting the Ministry of Health to expand an electronic medical records system called OpenMRS as a key sector priority to improve health care facility services. Developing countries often have to manage their…
On September 29, more than 100 countries and representatives of civil society attended the Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism at the UN General Assembly to further the global discussion about the importance of combating violent extremism (CVE) around the world. The meeting was preceded by the White House Summit to Counter Violent…
In Mozambique, saving lives can be as simple as sending a text. Although most of the country’s population lives in coastal cities, which are vulnerable to natural disasters like tropical storms and cyclones, residents sometimes lack access to early-warning information on approaching storms or potential flooding zones. Because of this lack of information, they are…
Staff from USAID’s Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM) project in Indonesia, implemented by Chemonics, will be presenting at the Higher Education Solutions Network Technical Convening (HESN TechCon) 2014, which takes place in San Francisco November 8-10, 2014. HESN is a multidisciplinary partnership between the U.S. Global Development Lab and seven universities around the world, including Duke…
When approaching retirement, having a stable pension in place makes an enormous economic and psychological difference. Without that financial stability, however, it is easy for the elderly to fall into poverty. In Armenia, the risk of poverty is 1.2 times higher for households with two or more elderly people (over 60 years of age). This…
How will the international development community eradicate extreme poverty by 2030? On September 18 and 19, 600 global thought leaders and international development practitioners will gather in Washington, D.C., for the Frontiers in Development Forum to address this question. Chemonics contributed to the event with an article in the Frontiers in Development book, a collection of essays intended…