Final Report: Georgia New Economic Opportunities Initiative

In its first 25 years of independence from the Soviet Union, Georgia’s successes have set it apart from others in the region, yet the country still faces an array of challenges, including entrenched poverty for much of the rural population. Many impoverished rural households depend on subsistence farming and lack the technical skills and financing…

Final Report: Tajikistan Land Reform and Farm Restructuring Project

In October 2013, USAID launched the Feed the Future-funded Land Reform and Farm Restructuring Project (LRFRP). This $5.5 million, three-year project supported the continuing process of dehkan (individual or family) farm restructuring and recognition of property rights, leading to a market in land-use rights.  This occurred through four key tasks: 1) legislative reform, 2) building the capacity of Tajik officials, farmers,…

Final Report: Moldova Business Regulatory, Investment, and Trade Environment Program

The Moldova Business Regulatory, Investment, and Trade Environment (BRITE) program was funded by USAID/Moldova and implemented by Chemonics International in partnership with United States-based small business European Integration Forum. BRITE’s principal task was to demonstrate to Moldovan policymakers that reforms would yield large-scale financial returns in the short and long run, following the theory of…

A Facilitation Approach to Youth Workforce Development and Entrepreneurship

The Feed the Future Uganda Youth Leadership for Agriculture Activity facilitated linkages by influencing the youth employment and workforce development ecosystem. The activity identified private sector actors looking to hire youth and determined the skills gap between private sector demand and youth ability. The facilitation approach to youth workforce development built the right relationships among…

Empowering Youth to Succeed in Market-Driven Agriculture

In Nigeria, the Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS II) project addressed constraints in the agricultural value chain to improve rural farmers’ performance, income, and food security. To change how young Nigerians view and engage in the sector, MARKETS II promoted agriculture as “agribusiness,” engaging youth not just in farming, but…

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,…

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…