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Country: West Africa

West Africa is a region which represent several countries.

New early grade reading program kicks off in Nigeria

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Posted September 2, 2022 .
5 min read.

A new five-year education project that will provide technical assistance in support of continued and sustainable reading outcomes for first and second grade students in the country launched before a gathering of more than 250 educators, government officials and international donors. 

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the new Leveraging Education Assistance Resources in Nigeria (LEARN to Read) program will foster global and local best practices for the ownership, sustainability and improvement of teaching and learning of early grade reading gains initially in the states of Bauchi and Sokoto, followed by other locations.  

During the Aug. 30, 2022, official launch of the new USAID-supported program, the Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education pledged the government’s support to the new endeavor.  

“Such an initiative is no doubt adding value to the efforts put in place by the Ministry of Education,” said David Adejo Andrew, the Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education during keynote remarks at the ceremony. “I want to assure you that the federal government of Nigeria with partnerships with the states, will continue to provide the necessary environment to improve the education sector. With the support of development partners like USAID, I’m sure that Nigeria will steadily move toward attaining its sustainability goals.” 

The Emir of Bauchi, Alh. Dr. Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, told attendees during the official launch, that “now that LEARN to Read is here with a national outlook, I hope our governments at all levels would support and sustain the initiative.”  

“Let me pledge our support and commitment in any possible way for this development initiative in our states, particularly in education which has been the bedrock for sustainable development,” the Emir of Bauchi said. 

Implemented by Creative Associates International and partners, the USAID-supported LEARN to Read program will use an approach that places the child at the center of the process of learning, enabling whole-child support via safe, equitable school environments, said Nurudeen Lawal, LEARN to Read’s Chief of Party, at the event. 

“The implementation will focus on differentiated, inclusive instruction that supports the development of materials that will be language-, context- and level-appropriate and will be made available to every child,” said Lawal. “This ecosystem approach is aimed at uniting and transforming attitudes and behaviors at all levels to foster ownership and sustainability.” 

Creative’s President and CEO, Leland Kruvant, highlighted the importance of this technical support program and its goals for Nigeria’s children. 

“All of us in this room are here today because we share the responsibility of nourishing the young minds in Nigeria with knowledge and curiosity that will help to build a stronger, more resilient country,” Kruvant said. “LEARN to Read represents a strategic investment in the future of this great country’s children.” 

In addition to Nigeria education agencies, LEARN to Read’s other implementing partners are the American University of Nigeria, Cambridge Education and School-To-School International, Connected Development (CODE) and The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre. 

Hajia Mariya Waziri, the wife of the Executive Governor of the Sokoto state who was named “Mother of the Day” during the launch ceremony, praised the dignitaries in attendance for showing their committed to the future of Nigeria’s children. The LEARN to Read project presented her with an award to thank her for her service as National Reading Ambassador.  

Adamu Suleiman, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education for Bauchi, said the selection of Bauchi as a program participant is “indeed, a great honor.” 

The launch of LEARN to Read is another success in Nigerian history, he added. “Reading in the mother tongue is what every child needs in early primary school. If they are trained to recognize the letters in the language they know, reading will be more easily facilitated and more comprehensible to them,” Suleiman said, thanking the U.S. government for its support for the project. 

*All photos by Lampsi Concept.

Continuation of Education Support

The new program follows the USAID-funded Northern Education Initiative (NEI Plus), which improved reading outcomes for close to 1 million children in Bauchi and Sokoto states, and its predecessor, the Northern Education Initiative (NEI), which strengthened basic education systems in Bauchi and Sokoto by increasing access to quality basic education and social services. Creative lead the implementation of both successful projects.  

“It is on the record that NEI Plus brought a lot of improvements in the learning skills of our children in Bauchi and Sokoto states,” said the Emir of Bauchi, who has long supported educational development in the region. “With the coming of LEARN to Read, I believe it will continue to be a guide on the best practices left behind by NEI Plus.” 

Through USAID’s commitment to LEARN to Read, and with the support across all levels of governments in the targeted regions, the previous successes of NEI Plus will expand to a national level, the Emir said. 

NEI Plus successfully implemented activities that included the distribution of more than 9 million early grade teaching and learning materials to 7,900 schools and informal learning centers in the states. During NEI Plus’ five years of the implementation, Bauchi and Sokoto states invested more than $3.8 million to expand early grade reading approaches to all local government areas in the two states. 

Simultaneously, USAID supported an emergency initiative called the Education Crisis Response program that was designed to support students, educators and communities affected by the conflict caused by Boko Haram. It was implemented by Creative, along with local, national and international partners.  

LEARN to Read will support both Bauchi and Sokoto to leverage more state and private resources to infuse global best practices for the teaching and learning of early grade learning. The project will build on lessons learned from prior reading programs in Nigeria to introduce a flexible, cost-efficient early grade learning intervention model that can be tailored to state contexts.  

LEARN to Read will support the strengthening of existing national assessments, build ongoing evidence-based oversight, performance management, problem solving, and share results and best practice related to reforms. The project will work with relevant federal agencies in developing a national reading reform strategy from the National Reading Framework priorities.  

Creative’s Kruvant explained that the success of these and other development programs is a mix of several critical factors, including the engagement and full participation of local stakeholders and technical experts.  

“For me, one that stands out is the critical importance of local partnerships and collaboration to achieve a common vision for early grade education – especially for girls and marginalized communities,” he said at the event. “And these partnerships have truly enriched programming and delivered measurable and sustainable results.” 

Also in Nigeria, Creative is implementing the North East Connection, as well as the regional food security and economic development program called the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub. Both are supported by USAID.

Female religious leader builds peace in northern Ghana

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Posted August 24, 2022 .
1 min read.

Hajia Mariam Alhassan Alolo has created more than 100 religious centers in northern Ghana, including in and near the city of Tamale, that have serviced thousands of students, mostly women and girls. Hajia Mariam uses her role to identify and reduce conflicts within families and the community, as well as working with other religious leaders to resolve intra-Muslim conflicts in the north. With the support of the USAID/OTI-funded Littorals Regional Initiative, she has developed new peacebuilding and leadership skills that have benefited her community and peers. Produced by Littorals Regional Initiative on behalf of USAID/OTI. The opinions expressed are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. government.

Ghana: Building lives, improving relations & stemming violence through VSLAs

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Posted August 24, 2022 .
1 min read.

Longstanding prejudice and land competition between ethnic Fulbe pastoralists and settled farmers in Ghana’s Savannah Region are causing increased conflict and destabilizing communities. The USAID/OTI Littorals Regional Initiative is leveraging mixed village savings and loans associations to promote peaceful co-existence and economic collaboration between the two groups.

Youth Power: A Look at How Creative Projects Champion Young People Worldwide

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Posted August 10, 2022 .
By Adrienne Todela .
7 min read.

USAID’s updated Youth in Development Policy envisions a world in which young people have the agency, rights, influence and opportunities to pursue their life goals and contribute to the development of their communities.  

With a focus on three objectives – access, participation and systems – USAID is seeking to increase youth’s meaningful participation and decision making within their systems and the ability to access services and opportunities that allow them to lead healthy, productive and engaged lives. ​​​​​​​ 

Creative projects have championed and successfully integrated positive youth development approaches in their programming, and so we asked a few to share what that looks like. 

ACS – Business Plans Help Honduran Youth Realize Entrepreneurial Opportunities 

By Daniela Farinas, Project Manager, Economic Growth Division  

An interactive story map produced by ACS to visualize drought-prone areas and the project’s interventions.

Alianza para Coredor Seco (ACS) aimed to improve the food security and nutrition of 6,000 families living in vulnerable conditions in the Dry Corridor of Honduras. Through ACS’s nonagricultural business plans, youth were provided access to technical and resource support to start entrepreneurial ventures.  

Under the guidance of technical experts, youth were engaged in co-analyzing relevant market data and trends, selecting viable business opportunities that satisfied their interests and aligned with the market, co-developing business plans and ultimately starting their own business. In addition to building youth skills, critical investments were made for key productive assets and equipment required to start the business. Through this learning-by-doing process, youth were supported to build assets and acquire the necessary resources to create their own economic pathways. 

Angel Andres, a participant of the non-agricultural business plans, was passionate about mechanics. He enrolled in the project to receive capacity building in financial management, governance, and business management- critical skills required to transform his passion for motorcycles into a viable economic opportunity.  

Angel took advantage of the learning opportunity and put his new skills into action by starting his first motorcycle repair shop. Today, Angel and his four partners are providing repairs, oil change, electric, and tire patching services to clients from Santa Ana, Concepcion de Maria, and other nearby municipalities.

PSR – Addressing Violent Extremism and Community Challenges through Youth Empowerment 

By Jacqueline Glin, Senior Project Director, Communities in Transition Division

Peacebuilding, Stabilization and Reconciliation (PSR) supports Malian youth in addressing violent extremism and challenges in their communities through two pillars: Employment and civic engagement; and strengthening their voices within their families and communities.  

Under the first pillar, PSR envisions Mali’s youth to be agents of their own development and actively engaged on civic and community matters. Under the project’s facilitation, Malian youth map business assets in their communities and identify livelihood opportunities for social impact. They also go through leadership development training and mentoring. For aspiring youth entrepreneurs, PSR supports business plan development and provides seed funding so they can launch their micro-businesses.  

Under the second pillar, PSR guides youth to effectively and more meaningfully engage with their community elders including teachers, religious leaders, and parents to discuss ways to reduce, prevent and counter violent extremist tendencies among youth. As a result, youth have taken on the crucial role of sensitizing members of families and their peers about the consequences of radicalization and violent narratives on families and communities.  

Youth are working together with religious leaders to develop and build alternative and counternarratives that collectively address violent extremism. They also collaborate with teachers in public and koranic schools to reinforce messages in support of social cohesion and against hate and violent extremism.

TVET SAY – Young People Take Charge in Nicaragua 

By Eliza Chard, Senior Project Director, Economic Growth Division

Nicaragua TVET SAY
Read the special report on “Empowering youth, promoting prosperity through technical education” in Nicaragua.

Technical Vocational Education and Training Strengthening for At-Risk Youth (TVET SAY) supported at-risk Nicaraguan youth to increase their socio-economic gains while fostering safer environments. The TVET SAY team knew that youth themselves were key partners and stakeholders within the project and critical to its success, so youth participation was built into activities and implementation approaches at all levels.  

A Youth Advisory Council was a principal instrument for formalizing youths’ roles and influence throughout the program cycle. The council was comprised of more than 20 scholarship recipients from Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast representing all the technical career programs, along with youth leaders representing disadvantaged groups, such as LGBTQIA+ and youth with disabilities.  

These youth served as campaign ambassadors who promoted the benefits of technical education in their communities and neighborhoods, advocated for TVET in national level platforms, provided ideas on how to promote youth employment opportunities and foster youth participation in decision-making platforms, promoted TVET SAY activities, and brought youths’ needs to the project’s attention. They also provided feedback on TVET institutions, their curricula, and course delivery, and monitored the program’s scholarship awardees, making TVET more attractive to youth and responsive to their needs and aspirations. 

Promoting youth leadership to adults in the community is also a key component of incorporating youth into community decision making which can lead to safer, more resilient communities. The project established the Youth and Adult Working Group (YAWG), which was intended to build understanding and collaboration between adults and youth, allowing youth to identify community challenges and propose ideas for resolving them in a safe space with support from adults.

BAB – Meaningful Inputs to Somalia’s Accelerated Non-Formal Education Helps Out-of-School Youth  

By Nadya Karim-Shaw, Senior Technical Advisor, Education for Development Division ​​​​​​​ 

Bar ama Baro (Teach or Learn) has focused on systematic, scalable and measurable inputs in Somalia’s efforts on providing accelerated non-formal education. Aimed at reaching more than 1.2 million out-of-school children and youth, the majority of whom are ages 12-18, the curriculum condenses eight years of formal schooling into four years and covers Arabic, English, science, social studies, Somali, Tarbiyah and technology, along with critical learning and life competencies.

Bar ama Baro (Teach or Learn) conducts teacher trainings to help educators reach out of school youth

It ensures that youth can rejoin the formal secondary education system through Grade 8 level certification or apply to join a vocational program. BAB’s systems approach simultaneously builds capacity in Somalia’s curriculum department within the Ministry of Culture, Education and Higher Education as well as with Somalia’s primary publishing company BEDER. This is achieved through extensive collaborative guidance on global accelerated learning best practices, technical inputs on textbook and materials development, and comprehensive field testing and reviews.  

Nearly 1 million copies of textbooks, Teacher Guides, and supplementary materials have been distributed. In parallel, BAB works with the Quality Assurance, Examinations, and EMIS ministry departments to integrate its school and district level education data to facilitate better planning and donor coordination.  

“Ensuring that all Somali children have access to equitable, inclusive and quality education is a top priority for the Somali Government. Through the partnership with USAID’s Bar ama Bar program, we are reaching more Somali children with quality education, which will contribute positively to the security, social and economic development of this country.” – Mohamed Abbi Hassan, MoCEHE Director General

CFYR – Effecting Change in Systems to Champion and Serve Caribbean Youth

By Debra Wahlberg, Senior Technical Advisor, Economic Growth Division, and formerly CFYR’s Chief of Party 

Community, Family and Youth Resilience (CFYR) Program worked to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence and empower them to become productive citizens of the Caribbean states. CFYR supported vulnerable youth ages 10 to 29 from Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis and Guyana by strengthening youth, family and community support systems; improving the skills of youth to resist involvement in violence; expanding access to education and employment opportunities; and providing specialized services to youth at the highest risk of engaging in violence. The program also worked in Guyana on juvenile justice reforms to ensure that youth already in contact with the law can be successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated into the community. 

CFYR’s approach ensured that youth were engaged as leaders and agents of change. Working at the community level with 10 Community Enhancement Committees, CFYR supported both the participation of youth leaders on the CEC boards, as well as outreach to youth in the community, to identify youth priorities and develop activities to address these.  

The Community Enhancement Committees developed plans that included input and priorities from youth members, such as technical and life skills training, employment opportunities and civic engagement, and engaged the private sector to participate and fund some of the activities that were implemented. Some of the youth-designed and youth-led activities included community clean-ups and neighborhood safety enhancements, such as solar street lighting; preparing and delivering food hampers to elderly and differently abled community members during the pandemic; neighborhood job skills fairs; writing and producing videos that highlight risks that youth face, including intimate partner and gender-based violence; and community sports days, among others. To support the sustainability of the committees’ work, CFYR supported their official registration in Guyana and Saint Lucia to enable the Community Enhancement Committees to receive external funding. 

Adrienne Todela is a Senior Technical Manager on Creative’s Knowledge Management team. Colleagues from the Youth Working Group contributed to this blog.

Art for peace: Cinkassé youth use illustration to promote positive community relationships

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Posted August 8, 2022 .
By Atiewin Mbillah-Lawson .
3 min read.

After Dougnoanou Tchitchane completed senior high school a decade ago, she struggled to find a job in Togo’s rural community of Cinkassé and a lack of funds meant she could not further her education. To avoid remaining idle, she used her passion for art to pass the time, spending the days sketching and painting on a canvas that would often reflect her feelings.

When her uncle told her about a drawing competition to promote peace, social cohesion, and prevent violent extremism supported by the USAID/OTI Littorals Regional Initiative/Programme Regional d’Appui aux Pays Côtiers, she became excited and saw it as a positive step for herself and community.

“The armed robberies and killings were becoming one too many. We were unsure whether the perpetrators were from our village, and no one wanted to discuss it. I hoped the art competition would help start a conversation,” Dougnoanou confessed.

Authorities in Togo’s Savanes region are concerned about increasing insecurity, illiteracy, and poverty. The situation is more pronounced in rural communities like Cinkassé, which borders Burkina Faso, where insurgency is rife, and Ghana. Amid concerns about spillover of violent extremist activities into areas with high levels of illiteracy, the competition’s organizers recognized that illustrations or other visual elements would be more effective to raise awareness. The drawing competition aimed to provide local youth with the opportunity to lead peacebuilding efforts in their communities.

Dougnoanou was among 300 youth from across the eight cantons of Cinkassé to apply in the first round of the competition. “To convey the message of peace, I submitted a drawing of two men arguing, followed by the symbol of peace that I illustrated with two hands clenching” says Dougnoanou.

The 27-year-old was thrilled to find out she was one of 20 shortlisted entries, earning her an opportunity to participate in a series of training sessions to improve her illustration skills, drawing, awareness-raising cartoons, and basic techniques to develop an idea or message in drawings. Dougnoanou says, “the training significantly improved my skills; now I can influence my peers and the community using the strokes of my brush.”

For the next round of the competition, the 20 trained youth gathered perceptions on peace, social cohesion, co-existence, and preventing violent extremism in their neighborhoods. These interactions inspired drawings for the final phase of the competition, where a jury would select the three best illustrations.

“In my design, I drew a Christian, Muslim and Traditionalist together on one mat to send the message of religious tolerance,” Dougnoanou explained.

Drawings from Dougnoanou and the other 19 semi-finalists were printed in a booklet and presented to a panel of judges and local officials. “I was nervous about meeting the authorities because it was my first time!” exclaimed Dougnoanou, “after meeting the Prefect, Mayors, and traditional leaders, to present the booklet, I felt a sense of importance; my opinions also matter to them.”

At the end of the competition, all 20 finalists were awarded tablets, with the top three receiving mobile phones and a laptop for the first position holder. Though Dougnoanou’s entry did not make it into the top three, her ranking among the 20 finalists and the training makes her feel like a winner.

Using their new tools and skills, Dougnoanou and the other youth participants are communicating and sharing new ideas about how to encourage peacebuilding in their community. “We are young people who have been equipped to convey peace messages through our drawings. Many people understand our messages, and we are creating awareness. The skills we have acquired can also become an income-generating activity for us which is a plus,” Dougnoanou concludes.

The youth also conducted a series of community sensitizations and have reached more than 400 residents. Dougnoanou now leads discussions with her peers about challenges facing the security of her community. “This engagement sparked in me the desire to join youth associations to be able to raise awareness about the dangers of conflict and violent extremism. I carry a copy of the booklet everywhere I go.”

The booklet and individual drawings are in high demand among authorities in Cinkassé, who use them to educate the public about preventing violent extremism. More than 1,000 copies have been printed and distributed in schools, offices, and community centers.

Going local in West Africa to improve food security

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Posted July 14, 2022 .
4 min read.

Many people around the world might find it difficult to pinpoint the specific ways the conflict thousands of miles away between Ukraine and Russia is impacting the global economy. However, the way it is impacting their everyday lives – through price increases of fuel and staple products, the scarcity of certain items and the difficulty in maintaining even a basic standard of living — is a topic of everyday conversation in West Africa.

Understanding the interconnectedness of our global lives and the reality that Russia and Ukraine together export around 30 percent of the world’s wheat and barley, one-fifth of its maize, and more than half of its sunflower oil, allows a better appreciation of the ways the conflict is hitting home for all of us and impacting food security in many nations.

While the impacts of the Ukraine conflict are considerable and unavoidable, the USAID-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub and its co-investment partners are working in the region and have made significant positive changes to the agricultural and economic landscape. Our partners specifically focus on reducing dependence on foreign supplies of staples such as rice and have been able to “rise to the occasion” through higher domestic production and import substitution to provide some level of insulation from the impacts.

The Trade Hub’s efforts to support economic growth at country and regional levels are rooted in a commitment to improving livelihoods and food security in communities and households. The Trade Hub assists smallholder farmers to produce higher yields, increase their incomes and improve nutrition, particularly those directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also engages the private sector to further support food security efforts and invest in the agricultural sector. In addition, the Trade Hub promotes measures to ensure access to healthy, safe, and nutritious foods, as well as activities that support sustainable practices and job creation, especially for women and youth.

For example, in Senegal, Enterprise Aïssatou Gaye, a woman-owned Trade Hub co-investment partner, aims to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported rice, while La Laiterie du Berger is improving and increasing the availability of fresh and nutritious dairy products in the region. This is a key contribution considering the increased costs associated with processing, storing, and transporting fresh dairy products. Now more than ever, the importance of such developments is key to allowing the region to thrive through self-reliance and improved sustainable agricultural development.

Fonio, a nutrient-packed ancient grain that is native to West Africa, is easily cultivated and attractive as an export for markets seeking viable replacements for well-known cereal grains, such as wheat and barley. When considering food security, the benefits of fonio have long been known in the region, as it is key to weathering challenges presented by seasonal changes, drought, pests, and nutrient-depleted soil.

The Trade Hub is partnering with several companies in the region, including La Petite Damba (Guinea), Biosene (Senegal and Burkina Faso), AMAATI (Ghana), and Mali Shi/Yolélé (Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal), to establish a new, West African, global value chain for fonio that will improve access to this “superfood” throughout the region.

As I write this, it is the rainy season in most of West Africa, the time for farmers to fertilize and seed their fields. Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine and Russia, is a major global supplier of agricultural inputs, especially fertilizer and its raw materials. Therefore, it is quite timely that a recent second Trade Hub grant to OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Limited is allowing the company to manufacture and deploy smart, site- and commodity-specific, blended fertilizers, providing smallholder farmers throughout Nigeria with better and safer access to fertilizers that will improve their yields and profits, positively impacting the issue of food security.

Premier Seed, the oldest seed company in Nigeria and a co-investment partner, has long been known as the region’s major supplier of quality agricultural inputs. Through efforts to increase the production and distribution of improved maize, rice, soybean, and cowpea seeds, this partnership is directly impacting the availability of quality crops.

Several partnerships are allowing companies that specialize in soy to improve and expand their businesses, including Togo-based Agrokom and new Trade Hub co-investment partner Seraph Nigeria Limited. Such partnerships are allowing the growth of one of the region’s most promising exports and solutions for regional food security. IITA BIP’s project to accelerate the production of a new variety of high-yielding soybean seeds for uptake by commercial seed companies in Nigeria is improving farmers’ access to improved seeds and thus helping to boost food security and increase investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The Trade Hub is also currently proposing the approval of nine more food security-related grants to private businesses in Nigeria, the largest economy and consumer, to spur the production of more food locally.

Having led major food security programs in the past, including as the Regional Food Security Advisor for the United Nations World Food Programme, I am passionate about ensuring sustainable agricultural development and food security, particularly in West Africa. I believe the solutions to many of the challenges will come about through the self-reliance and capability of the citizens with the support of those who can bring innovative ideas and supply knowledge that has been gained through successful ventures and applied research.

The work of the Trade Hub is, in essence, to be a part of building the region so that in challenging times like these, the people in West African nations will have established the self-reliance, infrastructure, and tools to sustain their communities to continue to conduct business and to keep their livelihoods intact, despite the fluctuations that come from elsewhere on the globe.

Robin Wheeler is the Chief of Party for the USAID West Africa Trade and Investment Hub. Learn more about Wheeler and his path to becoming the Trade Hub’s COP in this Q&A.

Partnering with local organizations in Northern Ghana to build social cohesion

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Posted June 1, 2022 .
1 min read.

The Center for Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies (CECOTAPS) brings people together to study peace and also to learn how to transform their daily disputes and daily conflicts into opportunities. With a grant from USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, the center is working in Northern Ghana to better understand the farmer-herder divide and to build effective, sustainable ways to resolve their issues in a peaceful manner. The USAID/OTI Littorals Regional Initiative is implemented by Creative Associates International.

Nigeria’s Middle Belt: Seeking Peace Amid Complex Conflicts – A Documentary

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Posted May 31, 2022 .
1 min read.

“Seeking Peace Amid Complex Conflicts: Nigeria’s Peacemakers Are Planting Seeds of Hope in the Middle Belt” explores how communities are working to reduce conflict, improve resilience and to establish mechanisms to promote stability.

SID-US selects a Creative video as a Lightning Talk winner, two others receive honorable mention

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Posted May 27, 2022 .
2 min read.

A video about engaging early grade readers in Pakistan through a comic-book style supplemental reading guide was selected as one of three winners in a contest run by the Society of International Development—US during its annual conference May 26.

The video, written and narrated by Creative’s Nadya Karim-Shaw, highlights how the USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project tried a new way to reach readers ages 9 and 10, particularly girls. They produced a series of comic books focuses on fictional characters, Sheeba, and three private detectives (two girls and a boy with a backpack).

By investigating community issues, the team (along with a donkey and a dog) take readers through history, geography and other topics. Released in 2018, the series had more than 2 million readers, said Karim-Shaw, a Senior Technical Advisor at Creative. Sheeba and the Private Detectives was produced through the Pakistan Reading Program in cooperation with AzCorp.

SID-US sought submissions of “Lightning Talk” videos about a topic or issue related to global development, with each video running no longer than five minutes. Karim-Shaw’s video was one of three selected by SID-US judges as finalists, which were shown during the organization’s Washington, D.C., conference on May 26. In addition to Creative, a video by FHI360’s Habtamu Buli and a piece by Abt Associates’ Sarah Romorini and Yuliya Rakhimova were selected as finalists.

Two additional Lightning Talk videos by Creative were selected as honorable mentions and featured on the SID-US Lightning Talk page. Mariellen Jewers, Associate Director of Creative’s Center for Migration, presented a video called “Virtuous Migration,” and Yasmina Sarhrouny, Chief of Party in Burkina Faso, entered a film called “Dance of the Telegrams.”

SID-US (formerly SID-Washington) is the largest and most active chapter of the Society for International Development (SID), an international network founded in 1957 to serve as a global forum dedicated to sustainable economic, social and political development. Creative is a member of SID-US.

See videos below:

“Sheeba and the Private Detectives” by Nadya Karim-Shaw
“Virtuous Migration” by Mariellen Jewers
“Dance of the Telegrams” by Yasmina Sarhrouny

Global Fragility Act offers new tools and approaches for peacebuilders

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Posted May 27, 2022 .
5 min read.

Panelists at SID-US 2022 Annual Conference said new act emphasizes locally engaged, locally led solutions in four countries and one region.

The newly enacted Global Fragility Act is an opportunity for the U.S. government and its implementing partners to re-imagine how to develop and carryout peacebuilding initiatives in five key locations, and then take those experiences to other at-risk and conflict areas, panelists said at a Society of International Development-United States session.

Robert Jenkins, Assistant to the Administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development, told an audience of about 80 participants that the government now needs to look at “what do we need to change and what do we need to do differently to be better” at building peace.

Speaking on a May 26 panel called “Implementing the Global Fragility Act: From Strategy to Action” during the 2022 Annual Conference of the Society of International Development-United States, Jenkins recognizes this as an historic moment for development and peacebuilders.

“It is a difficult time for anyone on the globe to promote peace and stabilization,” he said. “But never before in the history of the world with more than 100 million people being displaced, never is there a time when peacebuilders are more needed. And we are happy that the U.S. government can call itself a peacebuilder.”

During the next 10 years, the United States will implement the “U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability” to bring expertise and resources to communities in their conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts.

Community leaders receive advance training in peacebuilding techniques in northern Ghana. Photo by Erick Gibson for Creative Associates International.

“The Global Fragility Act is a very important piece of legislation that really focuses on reducing violence and elevating peacebuilding and conflict prevention as pillars of U.S. policy and development assistance,” said Susanna Campbell, Ph.D., a professor at American University in Washington, D.C., and moderator of the SID-US virtual panel session. “This is a really exciting period where the U.S. government is thinking about and planning how to implement this broad change to its policy in fragile and conflict-affected states.”

The White House announced April 1 the start of implementation of the Global Fragility Act with a focus on 4 countries and one region – Haiti, Mozambique, Libya, Papua New Guinea and Coastal West Africa. The selection of these geographies has the potential to consolidate and aim the U.S. government’s collective resources toward root causes of violence and instability. Panelists agreed that the international development community must bring tools, learning, and experience to bear in order to shift course.

“One of the biggest challenges with prevention is that it is a very revolutionary, potentially status-quo altering act,” Campbell said during the panel session.

Jenkins, who leads USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, outlined for attendees three general areas of focus. First, the U.S. government needs to be more specific about what it seeks to change and how we want to achieve that change. Second, he said, the government and implementers must determine whether conflict prevention works, though he recognizes that prevention takes hard work and years to see an outcome. Finally, the efforts need to be initiated and managed within the countries, not from Washington, D.C.

“We have to make sure that field driven, locally led are more than just bumper stickers,” the Assistant to the Administrator said. “All of us who have seen effective programs in the real world know that if it does not involve people themselves taking ownership in the design, process and outcomes then we are all wasting our time.”

Coastal West Africa Makes It Local

Olivier Girard, Chief of Party of the USAID/Office of Transition Initiatives’ West Africa Littorals Regional Initiative, told listeners that he applauds the Global Fragility Act’s priorities of a more streamlined and expedited funding process that enables more adaptive, integrated and agile implementation in these environments.

“The key principles of prevention and local ownership are the right principles,” said Girard, who works for Creative Associates International as the implementer of OTI’s Coastal West Africa program. “They are not particularly new – we’ve been using those principles for years, but it is important to see them elevated at the policy level.”

The USAID-funded program is entering its second year and has small teams in Ghana, Togo and Benin that are primarily working in the northern parts of each of these countries. A primary OTI mechanism is the use of small grants to local actors. In the first year, the Littorals Regional Initiative issued about 60 grants to 45 different partners (the vast majority of them local civil society organizations) and the balance going to local host government entities, like the Regional Peace Councils in Ghana and the Mediator of the Republic in Benin.

Mahamudu Alburi-Hammah, Fulbe Chief and community leader, meeting with enumerators. Tumu, upper west region, northern Ghana.

Examples of the OTI program include support to mediation committees, village savings and loan associations and mapping relations between ethnic Fulbe and farming communities in Ghana.

Girard emphasized the need to U.S. diplomats and Mission personnel to visit the field, talk with local actors and collaborate with innovators in these communities. He hoped that the Global Fragility Act would be a tool for U.S. personnel in these countries to get out of meetings and into the field.

Jenkins agreed and noted that the Global Fragility Act mandates that the U.S. government do a better job. “We have to get our Mission Directors and our Ambassadors to totally buy into this. And they are,” Jenkins said.

Law Is a Paradigm Shift

Joseph Sany, Ph.D., Vice President of the Africa Center at the U.S. Institute of Peace, described the new law as a “paradigm shift” in promoting peace.

Sany pointed to two sets of attributes. First, he said the government is shifting its approach and is now looking at fragility as a systemic or whole of society problem. “That is a key difference” from previous efforts, he said, that now has a long-term approach.

The second is a whole-of-government approach to fragility, in which USAID, the State Department, Defense Department and other actors are working together. Sany said. “Before, we planned and then everyone goes and does his own thing,” he said. “Now we are looking beyond coordination to integration.”

Sany also highlighted the new tools available through the Global Fragility Act to bring in new actors, almost like a “compact approach,” and the emphasis on learning to improve our programming.

“This is uncharted territory” in peacebuilding, Sany said. “It will require humility. It will require creativity. It will require flexibility. And the willingness to accept failure. Sometimes it is better to say I promised this, I failed but I learned something from it.”

Mobilizing private investment to boost economies and sustainable livelihoods in the Sahel

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Posted May 27, 2022 .
By Sabra Ayres .
5 min read.

SID–US annual conference discusses the benefits of using innovative financial mechanisms to draw in private investors to some of the most underserved regions of the world. 

In countries with substantial risks for private investors, such as the African Sahel, small and medium enterprises struggle to find financing to grow their businesses and create sustainable livelihoods. This is particularly true for women-led enterprises, despite the high potential for their successes to contribute to the development of these countries’ economies. 

Unfortunately, the need for long-term financing for these economies to grow far outpaces the availability. 

In such scenarios, an investment concept known as blended finance has proven to be a successful tool to help attract private investors by minimizing their risks and as a result, boost economies and livelihoods, according to managers of investment funds partnering with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s West Africa Trade and Investment Hub. 

“The West Africa Trade Hub is demonstrating some of the latest thinking that [USAID Administrator] Samantha Power and USAID have been promoting in terms of private sector engagement and localization,” said Jim Winkler, Vice President at Creative Associates International. “We are working with private companies, private investors and transaction-advisory firms to leverage private capital and investment that is going to drive economic growth, job creation, export competitiveness and all of the benefits that economies need to have stable and happy people.” 

Winkler’s comments came during a virtual panel discussion dedicated to blended finance at the Society for International Development’s 2022 conference in Washington that drew more than 80 attendees. Creative, which is implementing USAID’s West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, sponsored the May 26 panel at this year’s conference. 

Blended finance is a coupling of public-sector, donor or development funds to use as leverage to attract private funding. The idea is that the public-sector funding mitigates perceived risks for private investors to entice them to form an investment partnership that can create both financial rewards and social impact. It can be a significant tool to address market failures and to help mobilize private investment in pioneering projects and in challenging environments.

Workers at J-Palm Liberia load 50kg (110 lb) of palm nut onto a truck in Monrovia, Liberia.

“Blended finance puts the power of private capital, along with governmental resources, to work on some of the world’s most challenging development goals, ranging from the environment to gender equality to ending poverty and hunger in developing and emerging markets,” said Winkler, who moderated the event. 

The West Africa Trade and Investment Hub has used the blended finance approach with two private funds, Cordaid’s Bright Future Fund and ShEquity, represented on the panel. The USAID co-investment grants leverage private capital to invest in the Sahel to create jobs, exports and generate other results among women, youth and underserved populations, Winkler said. 

The Trade Hub has supported 80 public-private partnerships with investors and companies with $74 million in USAID co-investment grants that will leverage an estimated $500 million in private capital and expects the number of partnerships to increase to 100 by the end of June 2022. 

The partnerships are supporting small and medium enterprises in West Africa to scale up operations and create job growth in fragile areas. In addition, the Trade Hub’s investments have helped West African entrepreneurs remain in operation as the Covid pandemic slowed economic growth worldwide. 

Building Trust  

Convincing the private sector to invest in a fund is a challenge, but it starts with a belief that every human being is entitled to a bright future, said Hann Verheijen, the Managing Director, Cordaid Investment Management, at the SID conference panel. 

Cordaid’s $30 million West Africa Bright Future Fund focuses on four of the most unserved countries in the world: Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Sierra Leon. The fund supports entrepreneurs to scale their operations, create jobs and build sustainable livelihoods in these fragile regions, he said. 

“We prioritize sectors that are accessible to women and youth who are often excluded from formal employment,” Verheijen said, adding that has led to a focus on agriculture, clean energy and waste management, sectors where there is a significant amount of job creation for women and youth. 

The West Africa Trade Hub invested $2 million into the West African Bright Future Fund as a commitment to absorb the fund’s first losses. The fund then partnered with the U.S. Development Finance Corp, (DFC) which committed a Regional Portfolio Guarantee that covers 50 percent of the financial risk of $27 million of investment. 

“It’s important to stress that although we are an impact first investor, we aim to preserve the capital of our investors and bring them a decent return,” Verheijen said. 

The DFC, the U.S. government’s financial development institution, was established in 2020 after Congress mandated its creation as part of the 2018 BUILD Act that strengthened U.S. development finance capabilities into a new federal agency designed to address development challenges and foreign policy priorities. The DFC works closely with USAID around the world. 

One of the agency’s mandates is to support private-sector development, particularly in low income and lower-middle income countries, through a range of financial products and tools, including different structures of blended finance, said Heather Bateman, the DFC’s West Africa Director. 

“We think of it as what positive developments can be generated or achieved through our engagement that would otherwise not have been achieved?” Bateman said during the panel discussion. 

Boosting Women and Youth Entrepreneurs 

In Africa, about 40 percent of small and medium enterprises are owned or led by women, said panelist Pauline Koelbl, the founder and managing director of ShEquity. But consistently, you hear investors saying they can’t find deals. 

“The reality is that most of those 40 percent are not investment ready,” she said. You need a ecosystem to support the women-led entrepreneurs in the pre- and post-investment stage, she said. 

Workers create products out of palm oil at J-Palm Liberia, in Monrovia.

ShEquity, an investment firm that promotes women’s entrepreneurship in Africa, received a $1.2 million co-investment first-loss grant from the Trade Hub to support more than 100 women-owned or led businesses with high potential for growth. 

ShEquity focuses on a “holistic approach,” in which they put women-led enterprises through 16-week accelerator programs to prepare the companies for potential investment, Koelbl said.

“We build trust by demonstrating that this is working. It’s showing rather than talking,” she said. “When investors see this, then the perceived risk gets axed out.” 

Blended finance is a great catalyst because it allows those impact-driven investors to also be in an enabling environment, which attracts the risk-adverse investor to come in, Koelbl said. 

“For me, it’s about long-term impact,” said Charles Polet, a financial advisor with the West African Trade and Investment Hub. “Maximize the use of public funds. You need to partner with long-term vision impact creators, like ShEquity and Cordaid, so that beyond the life of the Trade Hub, they can generate the impact with future funds.”