A University in Your Pocket: The Potential of Education Via Mobile

It’s October 2006. You just updated your top friends on Myspace and direct messaged a classmate or colleague on AIM. You have a new voicemail on your flip phone, and you have just figured out how to email yourself photos from your cell. There is talk of Apple going “beyond the iPod,” and mobile money…

Every Child Deserves a Favorite Teacher

What do you remember about your favorite teacher? Maybe you remember their passion for the subject they taught, the way they pushed you to accomplish something that you thought was outside of your capabilities, or the way they probably were tough on you at some point, helping you grow when it felt most difficult. What…

How Can We Get Youth Interested in Agriculture?

Despite the remarkable progress the world has made in its fight against poverty, it is a challenging time to be young. Youth face high unemployment in many parts of the world today. In Africa, for example, young people account for 60 percent of all unemployed. The youth unemployment rates in countries like Botswana, Republic of…

A New Look, but the Same Chemonics

Today you may have noticed that Chemonics looks a little different. We have a new look and logo, which you can see on our website, our social media channels, and, of course, here on our blog. The new logo retains the heart of our old logo—the compass rose—and updates it to align more with who…

Access to Finance for Youth: An Opportunity in Afghanistan

What is financial inclusion? Financial inclusion seeks to increase the number of individuals who are able to access formal financial services, with a focus on providing access to marginalized populations such as youth or women. According to the World Bank, almost 40 percent of the adults in the world do not use formal financial services,…

3 Questions with Fatima Ahmed: Inclusive Development in Somalia

Why is social inclusion important for the development of Somalia? The crime rate in Somalia remains high, and weak government institutions often fail to bring justice. The marginalized populations in our society, such as youth, persons with disabilities, persons living with HIV, internally displaced persons (mostly women and children), and the poor, are often ignored…

Bridging Gaps in Financial Services with Digital Technology

This post originally appeared on SEEP’s blog. Chemonics is a proud member of SEEP. Have you ever wondered if there is a better way to expand and deepen financial inclusion? Have you tried forming innovative partnerships or using digital technology? Financial inclusion is a building block of strong economies throughout the world. However, in many…

Incubators and Accelerators Aren’t Just for Silicon Valley Anymore

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…

Making Market Development Work When Crisis Hits

This blog post originally appeared on SEEP’s blog. Chemonics is a proud member of SEEP. Picture this: Your market development program is going well. Your strategy aligns with the national government’s objectives. Your donor is happy. Business owners are happy. People are getting jobs and earning income. The market is growing. And then a crisis…

How We Get to 100 Million Improved Readers

Reading is essential for learning across all academic subject areas. As children progress through school, schools, teachers, and communities must help them to become critical and independent readers and learners. Their future depends on it. This is why USAID and its partners, like Chemonics, aim to improve literacy for 100 million children. Research suggests that…

Violence Against Girls Isn’t a “Women’s Issue” — It’s a Human Rights Issue

A growing body of evidence shows that empowering adolescent girls to become future leaders in their communities is key to achieving global development goals, ensuring the sustainability of development interventions, and making a significant social impact. It is only by supporting, educating, and empowering adolescent girls that we can unlock their full potential to transform the…

Diffusing Land-Use Conflict with Science and Transparency

The challenge of equitable and efficient land allocation Land-use decision making forces politicians and land managers to grapple with choices that pit one interest group against another, and every decision seems destined to create conflict. But what if potential land uses could be ranked and supported by science? Are there win-win scenarios out there, waiting…