Education in Afghanistan has markedly improved over the last decade: More girls are in school, schools are being rebuilt, and teachers are receiving critical training. The education sector, however, still faces obstacles, such as communities’ poverty and insecurity — obstacles that threaten enrollment rates. To overcome these challenges, the USAID Resources, Skills, and Capacities in…
Although countries’ specific contexts influence their national policies, there are best practices for economic development from which all countries can learn. Drawing on best practices and lessons learned from USAID programming, the Asia and Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices (AMEG) project developed effective interventions that strengthened economic institutions and governance. In collaboration with USAID…
Although recent modernization and market reform have improved Vietnam’s economy, there are still vulnerable populations that have been unable to reap the benefits of this growth. The USAID Governance for Inclusive Growth (GIG) program worked with the public and private sectors in Vietnam to enhance governance and facilitate trade. The program improved the country’s legal…
Although the Sri Lankan government pursued reforms to modernize the country’s business environment after the 2015 presidential election, past administrations’ weak systems and processes hindered these efforts. The USAID Supporting Accelerated Investment in Sri Lanka (SAIL) project, with Chemonics as a subcontracted partner, collaborated with the national government to develop a regulatory environment that is…
Severe weather conditions, minimal connections to the private sector, and a lack of training represent challenges that have prevented smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka from increasing their agriculture outputs. Without a strong foundation of outputs, these rural communities cannot move from subsistence farming to small-scale commercial production. The USAID Sri Lanka Supporting Opportunities for Livelihoods…
For democracy to thrive, citizens must have representation, including voting rights and elected officials who represent them. Since 1998, Indonesia has achieved important gains in representation, demonstrated in the growth of political parties, civil society organizations, and the media, and in the strengthening of national and local legislatures. Yet, Indonesia still faces a number of…
In Indonesia, significant public and private resources are invested in education each year, and nearly 3,000 institutions of higher education serve more than four million students. Collaborating with the Indonesian government, the USAID Higher Education Leadership and Management (HELM) project strengthened the capacity of these institutions in the areas of general administration and management, financial…
With underdeveloped laws and regulations, Mongolia has had to make great strides in tax policy and reform to foster economic growth. The USAID Mongolia Business Plus Initiative (BPI) strengthened the private sector’s role in the country’s economic growth, developing laws and procedures to improve the legal and institutional environment in which businesses formed and expanded.…
Ninety-nine percent of payments in the Philippines take place via cash or check. In a country made up of more than 7,000 islands where transporting cash is challenging, this system is not only inefficient but also less transparent and inclusive. Electronic payments (e-payments), although not as common in the Philippines, have many advantages over cash:…
In the Philippines, watersheds are one of the country’s key sources of natural capital: These drainage basins protect vulnerable communities from natural disasters while supporting 35 percent of the country’s energy needs through hydro and geothermal power. Another key source of capital, forests support agriculture as well as timber and non-timber projects that total $100…
One-third of the population above the age of 10 in Pakistan’s Sindh Province is illiterate, and about 30 percent of school-aged children do not currently have regular access to education. To address this gap in early-grade reading and numeracy, USAID’s Sindh Reading Program worked to improve the quality of and access to education in the…
With Indonesia’s incredible marine and terrestrial biodiversity at risk, the need to manage conservation areas and protect vulnerable ecosystems more effectively is acute.