Blog
Balancing the Balance: International Women’s Day 2019
By Betty Adera, CoP DREAMS Program International Women’s Day is here again and I face it with a lot of nostalgia. The global theme for the day being ‘Balance for Better’ resonates a lot with me because imbalance sits at the core of the limitations and barriers to progress, especially that of women. Just by…
Read MoreAn Impressive Visit to the Igihozo Integrated Model Early Childhood Development (ECD) Center
By Malaika Neumann, Communications and Outreach Manager, USAID/Twiyubake Program Download PDF of this story here. Children and parents at the USAID Twiyubake-supported Igihozo integrated model early childhood development (ECD) center recently received a group of 10 visitors to tour the facility and learn about its services. Upon their arrival in the classroom, the Executive Director…
Read MoreIt Takes a Village: Community Support Vital to School Feeding in Tanzania
What’s in a name? When it comes to Chakula Chetu, the answer is everything. The program, which means “Our Food” in Swahili, takes an innovative and integrated approach to school feeding by ensuring both “what” and “who” is at the table emphasizes local food and local ownership. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and…
Read MorePaying Success Forward, One Book at a Time
Kimmy Brooke understands firsthand how a network of empowered women can change a life. Before she became a successful entrepreneur, author and leadership coach, Brooke remembers the isolation she felt as a single mom, struggling to move forward with a stagnant bottom line. “I found myself at the age of 40 divorced and turned upside…
Read MoreGlobal Communities Initiatives in Ghana and Jordan Featured in USGLC Global Impact Project
The Global Impact Project, created by the US Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), tells the story of how businesses, NGOs, foundations, and universities are partnering with the U.S. government to address global challenges – creating impact abroad and in the United States. Global Communities’ Digni-Loo innovation in Ghana as well as our Jordan Loan Guarantee Facility…
Read MoreParents and Teachers Work Together to Improve Learning Environment at the Carlos Gomes School in Horizontina
Principal Leonice Aurélio Rohden cannot hide how proud she is of the goals accomplished by the parent – teacher association (PTA) of the Carlos Gomes School, one of the 17 community organizations that have been supported by the John Deere Foundation and Global Communities partnership program, Sowing Futures since 2016. Located in the Vila Cascata…
Read MoreMeet Mildred Kalufyanya, PCI Changemaker
Growing up, Mildred Kalufyanya used to imagine becoming a journalist like her father. An unexpected turn of events changed that plan, but Mildred’s work still centers on making sure vital information reaches a wide audience. In recognition of #WorldCancerDay, meet PCI Zambia’s Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Coordinator. What initially drew you to working in…
Read MoreProtecting San Diego Youth from Human Trafficking
Today is #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay. Of all the trafficking victims reported globally, did you know almost one-third are children? To help combat this issue on a local level, PCI implemented Project ROOTS (formerly known as Girls Only! and Boys Only!) in partnership with the San Diego Unified School District and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. Project…
Read MoreTaking Concrete Actions to Leave No One Behind: Government of Ghana Pro-Poor Policies and Sanitation Guidelines for Targeting the Poor and Vulnerable
By Alberto Wilde, Ghana Country Director and Eddy Perez, Technical Director for WASH and Health, Global Communities Despite Ghana’s progress in recent years — it is the fastest growing economy in Africa — it is one of the lowest ranked countries in terms of access to basic sanitation worldwide. Out of the total population of Ghana, 10% use unimproved…
Read MoreEmpower Women with Every Purchase at Speciality Boutique in San Diego
By Marielena Castellanos Alma Rosa Sandoval smiles when she recalls coming to the U.S. from Chihuahua, Mexico, when she was 23 years old. The mother of three grown children works part time and earns minimum wage caring for older people, but dreams of having her own business. “It’s always been in me,” she says, adding,…
Read MoreWhy We Serve People with Disabilities: Lessons from Iraq
By Elissa McCarter-LaBorde, CEO of Vitas Group. Originally published on the Center for Financial Inclusion website. In 2014, Vitas launched a special needs loan program in Iraq, made available to people with disabilities (PwDs), particularly youth. The loan amounts range from US $100 to $3,000. Our current portfolio of almost $200,000 includes nearly 300 clients.…
Read MoreGraduates Empowered to Set a New Pace for Women in Guatemala
Just over a year ago, Julia Xec could not read or write. But last week marked the start of a new chapter in her life. The Guatemalan mother, who never had the opportunity to attend school before, was one of 191 women to graduate from a pilot program developed between Project Concern International (PCI) and…
Read MoreRemembering Wrenn Turpin
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Wrenn Turpin, an early volunteer for Project Concern International and the beloved wife of our founder. Wrenn served as a dental hygienist in one of our mobile clinics in Tennessee in the 1970s, providing oral care to children and families who had no access to…
Read MoreCommunity Lay Counselors in Zambia at the Forefront of Realizing an AIDS-free Generation
Zambia has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Sub-Saharan Africa at 13%. Among the military population, the prevalence rate is estimated to be two times higher than the national rate. Project Concern International (PCI) is working in Zambia to strengthen the capacity of the Defence Force Medical Services (DFMS) to plan and implement…
Read MoreCritical Health Services for Young Women and Girls in Nairobi
Critical Health Services for Young Women and Girls: DREAMS Opens First Wellness Centre in Nairobi Settlement By Betty Adera, DREAMS Chief of Party, Nairobi One of the surest ways to ensure that people with HIV get the treatment they need is by knowing their status. Without that knowledge, their health invariably deteriorates and they may…
Read MoreCritical Health Services for Young Women and Girls in Nairobi
Critical Health Services for Young Women and Girls: DREAMS Opens First Wellness Centre in Nairobi Settlement By Betty Adera, DREAMS Chief of Party, Nairobi One of the surest ways to ensure that people with HIV get the treatment they need is by knowing their status. Without that knowledge, their health invariably deteriorates and they may…
Read MoreNever Too Early to Learn: Engaging Parents as Teachers in Tanzania
For years, Juma Mazaba Motoka has confidently served as the head of a small sub-village in Tanzania. But only recently did the 40-year-old father come to embrace another leading role. “Earlier I thought the activity of teaching children was only for teachers who are well-trained and psychologically prepared to teach young children at school,” Juma…
Read MoreWorking Together to Save Lives of Small and Sick Babies
When Amialya Durairaj was preparing to welcome twins into the world, she never anticipated a 14-month children’s hospital stay. Yet, like more than 15 million babies around the globe each year, Durairaj’s girls were born too soon, or before 37 weeks of pregnancy. “For days, all I could do was cry,” Durairaj said. “I felt…
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