Yemen economic and social indicators are among the lowest in the Middle East. In addition to a fragile economy, Yemen continues to face instability due to high unemployment, violent Islamic extremism and a large youth population.

Creative’s Community Livelihoods Project began as an integrated, multi-sector initiative designed to reduce instability in some of the country’s most difficult areas. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the project has reached more than 12.3 million beneficiaries through community-based initiatives across five sectors of economic development, agriculture, health, education and governance.

Its economic development initiatives built communities’ resilience to recurrent crisis through support for small businesses, micro-finance activities and by addressing youth unemployment—activities that aligned with the Yemeni Government’s Transitional Program for Stability and Development Priorities.

In the agriculture sector, the project worked with coffee, horticulture, livestock and honey producers to improve value chains and increase the quantity and value of their products. It vaccinated animals, trained farmers on food storage and processing and provided hands-on learning in low-resource growing practices.

The project also increased access to healthcare for marginalized and vulnerable communities. It ensured more than 1.75 million children were vaccinated against measles and polio, rehabilitated six health facilities, reactivated Medical Mobile Teams and trained 58 midwives who served more than 13,000 women.

Education-focused initiatives included an early grade reading approach, which improved early-grade reading and teaching skills for thousands of primary school students and teachers, and oversaw the rehabilitation of 144 schools in some of Yemen’s most insecure regions.

Additionally, activities focused on governance strengthened local capacity to provide basic public services to disadvantaged communities. This improved the interface between local councils, key government offices, NGOs, civil society, youth and communities and addressed key grievances and drivers of instability.