Unlocking Economic Empowerment: Insights from Gender Analyses in Guatemala and Kenya

Cooperative Development, women working together.

By Chloe Pan Globally, nearly 2.4 billion women do not have the same economic rights as men, and on average, only have three-fourths of the legal rights. Harmful gender norms and discrimination present immense challenges to women’s access to economic opportunities. To discover more specific barriers to women’s economic access, gender analyses are conducted. Through…

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Guatemalan 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,…

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Mother-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…

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Uniting 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…

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Brainstorming Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Diverse Programming

By Paula Rudnicka, Sr. Manager for Public Affairs & Chioma Okafor, Sr. Technical Advisor for Local Capacity Strengthening Last month InterAction held its annual Forum, which brought together organizations, changemakers and executives from the public, private and nongovernmental sectors to explore the most pressing issues facing the world today. Sarah Charles, who oversees the Bureau…

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Pass the Mic: Growing from Our Roots: Exploring the History and Future of Cooperative Development Programming at Global Communities

By Paula Rudnicka, Sr. Manager for Public Affairs at Global Communities Global Communities’ history is deeply rooted in the cooperative movement. Our organization was created in 1952 as the Foundation for Cooperative Housing, and for over 30 years we used the cooperative model to help build 60,000 houses for people in need across 35 states…

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New USAID-funded Program to Strengthen Worker Cooperatives in Guatemala and Kenya

Silver Spring, MD – Global Communities announces a new award from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement CLEAR+—the second phase of the Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Research (CLEAR) program carried out since 2018. The five-year CLEAR+ program will strengthen the cooperative sectors in Guatemala and Kenya. CLEAR+ is designed to…

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Building a Foundation of Hope: Supporting Guatemalan Households to Combat Shelter Challenges and Food Insecurity

Over the past few years, vulnerable communities in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, have faced the triple shock of COVID-19, prolonged periods of drought and increasingly severe hurricane seasons. In 2021 and 2022, heavy storms affected 44% of the population in the country, resulting in the evacuation of 78,877 people and placement of 14,757 in shelters. According to…

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Recycling Cooperative in Brazil Gets a Boost from Young People’s Communication Skills

By Leticia Oliveira An estimated 800,000 trash recyclers collect 90% of Brazil’s recyclables every day. Many Brazilian cities lack formal recycling programs, so catadores (recyclers) offer a crucial public service and play an important role in protecting the environment. Still, they remain largely undervalued in their communities. Forming a recycling cooperative is no longer a…

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Working to Build Economic Resilience in Guatemala’s Crises-Stricken Highlands

By Gesler Castillo Guatemala’s Western Highlands continue to suffer long-term impacts from widespread destruction caused by Hurricanes Eta and Iota, including the loss of livelihoods and damage to infrastructure and public services. The region is home to a significant portion of Guatemala’s rural population, many of whom rely on subsistence agriculture to survive. Unfortunately, prolonged…

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Pass the Mic: Reinvigorating Global Efforts to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality

By Paula Rudnicka, Sr. Manager for Public Affairs at Global Communities In 2012, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Governments of India and Ethiopia to convene the Child Survival Call to Action, which galvanized unprecedented commitments from governments and civil society around the…

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Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water in Honduras

By José Alberto Vasquez Padilla Despite possessing a large amount of water resources, many communities in Honduras suffer from a shortage of safe drinking water, which leads to a series of public health and quality of life problems across the country. According to the National Survey of Demography and Health (ENDESA 2019), only 50% of…

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Right to Care: Family-Centered Approaches for Vulnerable Children and Adolescents

By Betty Adera The impact of disasters, complexities of humanitarian crises and ongoing effects of climate change pose major threats to the lives of children. These challenges impact the most vulnerable among us and expose them to health, water and food insecurity; exploitation and sexual violence; deprivation and neglect. Long-standing, systemic human and child rights…

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