Global Communities Archives

Promoting Adult Literacy in Rwanda 830 Ngororero adults acquire literacy skills By Jean Pierre Bucyensenge, The New Times 68-year-old Mukamutamu proudly displays her literacy graduation certificate. It was a bitter experience when Mukamutamu, a resident of Ngororero District, missed out on an opportunity to become a Gacaca judge. The 68-year-old-woman had been entrusted by her village…

Helping Rural Communities in Colombia with Improved Access to Potable Water Lack of water is one of the most serious problems that communities in the rural Montes de Maria region face. According to UNICEF, 92% of Colombians have access to improved water sources, but in municipalities such as El Carmen de Bolivar, residents do not have access…

Building Resilience among Vulnerable Households in Rwanda (video) Since 2005, Global Communities has been working in Rwanda to help address the health, social and economic needs of vulnerable households affected by HIV/AIDS with USAID and PEPFAR funding. Currently, under the USAID/Higa Ubeho program (“be determined and live”), Global Communities is assisting more than 60,000 households through a wide range interventions…

This article originally appeared in Palestine Business Focus Magazine. Salah Taha used a small business loan from CHF-Ryada to start his own poultry farm. He uses his profits to support his five children, including one who is now attending university. “CHF-Ryada is helping me maintain stable future education for my children,” he said. Salah is…

This article originally appeared in Palestine Business Focus Magazine. “Micro and small enterprises play an important role in the Palestinian economy by generating employment and income for a majority of marginalized groups in society.” This statement by Mr. Alaa Sisalem, General Manager of CHF-Ryada, underlines the importance of how microfinance is helping entrepreneurs develop businesses in…

Resilience through Green Construction Global Communities is a green construction pioneer in the international development arena. With our expertise rooted in affordable housing, we have long been incorporating environmentally friendly and energy-efficient elements into the home improvement, community infrastructure and school construction projects we implement together with local partners, and as part of post-disaster reconstruction…

Promoting Adult Literacy in Rwanda Over 5,000 complete adult literacy training in Gisagara By Jean Pierre Bucyensenge This story originally appeared in The New Times.  A few of the 5,600 literacy program graduates in Gisagara. More than 5,600 adults have completed adult literacy training in Gisagara District. The course was spearheaded by the Pentecostal Church…

Helping Displaced Farmers Secure Land Rights in Colombia Thirteen Farmers from San Onofre Become Formal Owners The mountainous and isolated region of Montes de Maria experienced some of the worst violence during Colombia’s protracted internal conflict.  As a result of the violence and insecurity, the communities residing there suffered from massive displacement. More than 50%…

Santosh’s Story Once a street child, Santosh is now a leader in the new models of recycling and waste management being scaled up across Bangalore, India. Santosh being interviewed by a local news channel. Watch the interview here. Santosh, 35, is the Manager of Operations at the Domlur Dry Waste Collection Centre established under the…

Global Communities 2012 Annual Report: 60 Years of Partnership The Global Communities 2012 Annual Report is now available.    This report has the distinction of being the first ever Global Communities Annual Report and also the 60th anniversary report of the organization that began in 1952 as the Foundation for Cooperative Housing. It therefore explores…

Empowering Colombian Youth to Look Beyond Poverty and Violence through Music Los Dioses are six young men from Libertad, San Onofre in the Montes de Maria region of northern Colombia. Marked by violence, massacres and massive population displacement, Montes de Maria was one of the regions most affected by the armed conflict in Colombia.  …

Promoting Decentralized Waste Management in India (video)  The rapidly growing Indian city of Bangalore produces 3,000 metric tons (more than 6,600 lbs) of waste a day. Most of this waste winds up in landfills in communities outside of Bangalore resulting in tremendous transportation costs for the local government and degraded living environments for the communities that live…

Empowering Communities in Colombia through Participatory Action The communities of Montes de Maria in northern Colombia were some of the most affected during the armed conflict. With more than 50% of the population displaced, social cohesion was shattered, organizations and institutions were weakened and leaders disappeared. Today, communities are striving to overcome decades of violence…

Reducing the Deficit Through Foreign Aid  By David Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post. A few days ago, at a Las Vegas-based conference sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, former Pennsylvania governor and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge summed up a key challenge we face in the development…

Overcoming a History of Violence by Building Community Trust and Accountability More than 300 residents attended the public session in Ovejas where municipal leaders presented a detailed managment report for 2012. More than 60 years of conflict and upheaval has taken its toll on the communities that comprise San Jacinto and Ovejas. Located on the…

VIP Profile: Samia Ausaf, Sabrina Cao, Eva Poon and Daksha Shakya Rwanda, March 2013 Measuring Trust within Cooperatives in Rwanda: A Pilot Study with George Washington University Worldwide, the rural poor still face significant constraints to generating income. Livelihoods are predominately based in small-scale, low-productivity agriculture, and farmers often lack the resources, capacity and knowledge…

Sekondi-Takoradi Citizens’ Report Card – Ghana In Ghana, Global Communities worked with local organizations to expand access to credit, provide vocational training, upgrade water and sanitation systems and improve housing conditions for residents of slums in Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi. The IncluCity program builds on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded SCALE-UP program which enabled the urban poor…

By Rebecca Collard This article originally appeared in the GlobalPost. With much of Gaza’s farmland swallowed by Israel’s buffer zone, experts say urban aquaponic farms can curb food insecurity in the cramped territory. GAZA CITY — On the roof of a six-story apartment block in Gaza City, 51-year-old Abu Ahmed plucks heads of lettuce and vines…