Blog
A Holistic Intervention to Overcome Multiple Barriers to Women’s Entrepreneurship in Guatemala
By Mabel Bejerano, Global Technical Advisor for Women’s Empowerment and Savings Groups Toribia – a 54-year-old mother of eight from the Western Highlands of Guatemala – has long been a leader in her family, who strives to make a consistent income with their land and livestock. Because families in the Western Highlands are typically producers…
Read MoreGuatemalan School Kitchens Reopen After COVID-19 Shutdown
By Chloe Pan For the first time in nearly four years, school meals are once again being prepared in Guatemalan school kitchens following their total or partial closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an important milestone for the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program,…
Read MoreHow to Develop Climate & Disaster Risk Finance Strategies: Reflections from the COP28
By Patricia Inga Falcón & Noah Steinberg-Di Stefano At the end of last year, more than 80,000 world leaders and climate justice advocates gathered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28). Since the first COP in Berlin in 1995, these…
Read MoreMaking Space for Economic Growth in Ukraine’s Lanovetska Community
For years, Lanovetska Territorial Community, located in Ternopil oblast of Ukraine, was off the global economic map. Aspiring entrepreneurs were stifled by this isolation. However, with support from Global Communities and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), enterprising local residents were able to breathe new life into existing businesses and those still trying to…
Read MoreDriving Change: Youth-Led Worker Cooperative Transforming Kenya’s Automotive Industry
By Tindi Sitati and Mike Kipngeno Rooted in the energy of youth, the Transparency Auto Worker Cooperative was created in 2022 through a collective vision of former automotive engineering students from Eastlands College of Technology (ECT) in Nairobi County, Kenya. The cooperative, which currently supports 22 active members, is a response to the pressing challenges…
Read More‘Survival, Resilience and Solidarity’: Our Relief Efforts in Gaza
By Maureen Simpson Now over four months in, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, with one in four households facing famine levels of food insecurity and severely limited access to safe water. “Our mornings begin with a silent check – are the kids, is everyone, alright?” said Mohammad, one of 74 staff…
Read MoreBuilding Community and Supporting Internally Displaced People with Integration Efforts in Ukraine
By Tania Dudnyk It took eight years for Yuliia to shake off the feeling of numbness and fully integrate into the Ukrainian community where she lives now. She moved to the Chernivtsi oblast from Luhansk oblast as an internally displaced person (IDP) in 2014. Having experienced this kind of uprooting on a personal level, Yuliia…
Read MoreGenerating Job Opportunities for Mountain Guides and Porters in Kenya
By Tindi Sitati and Mike Kipngeno Nestled within the scenic landscapes of Nyeri County, Mt. Kenya Guides and Porters Safari Worker Cooperative stands as an inspiring example of the transformative influence of the worker cooperative model in Kenya’s tourism sector. Originating as an informal group in 1971, the cooperative has since flourished into a vibrant…
Read MoreMother-Daughter Duo Hatch Success with Poultry Farming Business in Rural Guatemala
Elsa Carrillo and her daughter Debora have found that sometimes it’s worth it to put all your eggs in one basket – especially when you are selling both. With support from the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) and Global Communities, the entrepreneurial duo learned how to leverage savings from…
Read MoreLocalizing Humanitarian Assistance to Help Meet Needs of Marginalized Groups in Ukraine
By Tania Dudnyk “For the first time in my life working in the public sector, we as an organization not only provide assistance but receive it,” says Zhanna Derii, who is part of an association of teachers from Chernihiv Polytechnic National University that make up the civil society organization (CSO) known as Chernihiv European. Prior…
Read MoreIf You Care about Ending Violence against Women and Girls, Care about Toilets
By Jason Brooks, Technical Director, Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene, Global Communities Have you ever used a bathroom stall without a lock? How about dark public facilities while toileting? How did these experiences make you feel? There are few moments when we feel as vulnerable as when we are attending to our biological needs. All people…
Read MoreUkraine’s Resilience Strengthened by Grassroots Psychosocial Support and Civic Partnerships
By Tania Dudnyk Chernihiv oblast has been one of the regions most severely affected by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. When it was under Russian occupation during the first five weeks of the war, residents – including children – were forced to spend long hours and days in shelters to protect themselves from heavy…
Read MoreStrengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Systems in Sri Lankan Schools
The COVID-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka’s economic crisis have placed already vulnerable and marginalized communities at further risk with challenges to livelihoods, food security and social protections. Increased stressors and the resulting strain on available support services and resources such as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) have contributed to documented increases in sexual and…
Read MorePreventing and Responding to Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Settings
By Emily Galloway, Sr. Advisor for Global Protection, Global Communities Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects women, girls and vulnerable individuals during emergencies. In disaster or conflict-affected areas, gender inequalities and power dynamics can both exacerbate existing risks of GBV and create new ones. While risks are always context-specific, we see…
Read MoreAddressing Sexual and Gender-based Violence through Local Partnerships and Governance Systems: Lessons from Sri Lanka
By Gigi Dupuy, Sr. Technical Advisor for Governance & Chioma Okafor, Sr. Technical Advisor for Local Capacity Strengthening, Global Communities Since July 2018, Global Communities has implemented the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) program in Sri Lanka, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). One of the components of the program is…
Read MoreEmpowering Young Men: The Crucial Role of Life Skills Education in Combating Gender-Based Violence
By Betty Adera and the Botswana Country Team In a world striving for equality and justice, it is imperative to recognize education’s pivotal role in shaping future generations’ attitudes and behaviors. One of the key battlegrounds against gender-based violence lies within the corridors of our schools, where young minds are molded and empowered to become…
Read MoreUniting Communities: A Pivotal Force in Combating HIV/AIDS
By Betty Adera As we observe this year’s World AIDS Day, it is crucial to shine a light on persistent inequalities that continue to affect the lives of children, adolescents and young women. Numerous awareness campaigns and other strategies have led to critical advancements during the four-decade long HIV/AIDS global pandemic. However, the role of…
Read MoreSupporting War-Affected People in Ukraine: Insights from Our Protection Manager
By Paula Rudnicka, Sr. Manager for Public Affairs at Global Communities I remember feeling frightened and devastated when the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began unfolding on my television screen in February 2022. While these feelings were, and still are, not isolated, there is something incredibly jarring about watching the neighboring country being attacked by…
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