Future Forward
Protecting Ghana from the Spread of COVID-19, One Community at a Time
By Emefa Baidoo and Senam Ntow Like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana was not prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a population of more than 31 million people and just one hospital bed per 1,000 individuals, its already overburdened health system and infrastructure nearly shattered. In addition, urban-rural disparities continue for…
Read MoreUsing the New Digital Savings Group Hub to Eliminate Paper, Inspire SavingsÂ
Digitization can feel overwhelming — and even risky when considering inherent equity and access issues. Yet, with the right resources, organizations can go paper-free, or at least reduce that paper output, and save money in the process. We chatted with Paulina Rudnicka, Senior Technical Advisor for Gender Integration at Global Communities, about the launch of…
Read MoreThe Vitas Lab: Building Brighter Futures Through Financial InnovationÂ
By Rohit Kulkarni and Lizzie Hickman Low- and middle-income countries were hit hard by COVID-19, as revenue streams dried up and government enforced lockdowns shuttered workplaces. Cracks in Lebanon’s financial system started in 2019 but were exacerbated by the pandemic. As a result, the Lebanese economy has undergone one of the worst peacetime collapses in…
Read MoreExpanding Possibilities for Women Entrepreneurs in Guatemala
By Jessica Ayala Just over a year ago, Sucely Rocsana Reyes Molina never would have imagined that she would own a flourishing formal dairy business with so many opportunities in the market. Today, the 30-year-old single mother has multiple people who help her deliver 15 types of cheeses and creams, expanding her business well…
Read MoreRebuilding a Sense of Home and Hope in Honduras
Over the course of 14 months, the HEWS program aimed to address both the immediate needs and early recovery of 100,050 people by organizing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, safe living conditions through improved shelter and settlements, and multi-purpose cash assistance.
Read MoreQ&A with Arwa Alkhawaja, COVID Outreach Specialist in San Diego
By Natalia López-Thismón When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Global Communities (then operating as PCI) moved quickly to collaborate with the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to the community through contact tracing. Since then, our programming has shifted into education and vaccine outreach as…
Read MoreBuilding Demand for Responsibly-Sourced Gold from Eastern Congo
Many communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) rely on artisanal and small-scale mining as a primary livelihood. While a significant drive of DRC’s economy, it tends to be an informal and risky business that has also been used to fuel conflict. As a key source of income for armed groups and criminal…
Read MoreIndispensable: Recognizing & Rebranding the Work of Brazil’s Trash Recyclers
By Roseli Bianchi and Lizzie Hickman In Brazil, some low-income families make ends meet through recycling. However, the process is not as simple as sorting trash into neatly labeled green bins. Rather, ‘catadores de materiais recicláveis’ are informal waste pickers who spend long, back-breaking hours scouring the streets of their urban communities for discarded materials they…
Read MoreAddressing Housing Challenges through Cooperatives
By Ashley Holst One of the global victims of rising inequality and climate change is access to decent housing. Housing costs are increasing, while the supply is waning. In many countries, including Kenya, where the USAID Cooperative Development Program – Cooperative Leadership Engagement Advocacy and Research (CLEAR), is being implemented by Global Communities, land affordability…
Read MoreResponding to Humanitarian Needs in Ukraine
Since the war began in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, an estimated 5 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, while over 7 million people have been displaced inside the country in search of safety, protection and assistance meeting basic needs. As the scale of this humanitarian crisis continues to grow, Global Communities is working…
Read MoreFinding a Safe Space in Syria: Hamida’s Story
For more than half of her life, Hamida has been exposed to the trauma, violence and instability of war. The 20-year-old, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, is one of 14.6 million people currently in need of humanitarian assistance due to the ongoing crisis in Syria. Recognizing that women and girls often…
Read MoreGiving Kudumbimalai a Lifeline
By Rukshana Rizwie and Lizzie Hickman In Sri Lanka’s Batticaloa district, deep within the jungles of Koralai Pattu South, sits a village of abandoned wells — all deep, dirty and depleted. For many years, over 400 families living in Kudumbimalai had to drink and cook with contaminated water from the repositories, even though they knew…
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