http://www.usaid.gov/stories/ Recent Success Stories from USAID. http://www.usaid.gov/images/main/usaid_logo_new.jpg http://www.usaid.gov en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification webmaster@info.usaid.gov webmaster@info.usaid.gov http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_community.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_community.html Afghanistan As Afghanistan's justice system matures, it offers citizens numerous options for legal recourse when their rights are violated. However, many people, especially women, do not know their legal rights or how to use the formal justice system. Additionally, many do not know where to turn when they face legal problems that could be solved through the courts or community mediation. Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_roads.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_roads.html Afghanistan Several years ago, there were only three produce merchants in the Baharak Bazaar, a market in Afghanistan's remote northern province of Badakhshan. Today, there are 30 traders selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Farmers are growing more diverse crops and enjoying larger harvests as they take advantage of lower transportation costs resulting from a massive USAID program to build and improve roads. Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_tailors.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_tailors.html Afghanistan In western Afghanistan's Farah Province, women have few opportunities to go to school or work outside of the home. Even when they possess a useful, income-earning skill like tailoring, many women stay at home during the day for cultural or security reasons Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_water.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_water.html Afghanistan In eastern Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan, infrastructure is poor and many villages lack good roads, access to clean water, and other basic necessities. USAID and U.S. Forces are working together to ensure that Afghan citizens receive the development assistance that they need to improve their livelihoods and quality of life. Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_access.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_access.html Kazakhstan As a result of an advocacy campaign supported by USAID, the authorities in the Kazakh city of Karagandy have equipped the city's main government building with a ramp for people in wheelchairs. Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_hypertension.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_hypertension.html Kazakhstan Twenty-five to thirty percent of adults worldwide are estimated to be affected by hypertension, a "silent killer" that is frequently asymptomatic until a heart attack or stroke occurs. In Kazakhstan, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in adults. To reverse this alarming trend, USAID has been collaborating with health departments, state institutes, and other organizations. Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_milk.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_milk.html Kazakhstan As the herd of cows crosses through the gates into the pasture, the animals pick up the pace, kick their heels, and dive into the lush grass. Alipov-T farm, 40 kilometers from Almaty, is one of the farms in Kazakhstan that have adopted a rotational grazing method with assistance from USAID. The farms enjoy sizeable savings on feed costs, increased milk productivity, and higher revenues. Thur, 19 Nov 2009 11:14:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tajikistan/ba_tjk_water.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tajikistan/ba_tjk_water.html Tajikistan The gradual breakdown and ultimate failure of the Sovietera water supply system forced villagers of the Somoniyon township of the Rudaki District of Tajikistan to rely on open irrigation canals for drinking water. Although everyone boiled the water before use, many of the villagers, especially young children, suffered from high incidences of gastroenteritis diseases. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tajikistan/cs_tjk_trash.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tajikistan/cs_tjk_trash.html Tajikistan The city of Isfara with the population of 38,600 in Sughd Province, northern Tajikistan, was a typical Tajik town with dysfunctional services and disillusioned residents. Isolated from the rest of the country by the surrounding borders of Kyrgyzstan, Isfara's local government lacked the financial and technical resources to develop and implement needed services. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_reefs.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_reefs.html Egypt Egypt's world-class coral reefs are both an ecological treasure and a major tourist attraction, but the reefs are threatened by heavy tourist traffic and lack of environmental protection. USAID developed and helped implement an environmental management system in order to help the Red Sea region protect the reefs. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_hotelschool.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_hotelschool.html Egypt Amna Mohamed Awad Hussein, a fifteen-year-old from Shalatin in the south of Egypt gained a new perspective on a life and a new set of skills when she attended a USAID funded school for tourism service workers. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_emergencyclinics.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_emergencyclinics.html Pakistan In May 2009, a team of USAID-supported health specialists in the Swat Valley received a curt message from the Taliban: Get out or expect to be beheaded. The health specialists were working to improve access and quality of health services in the region, but they soon found themselves among the exodus of more than two million people from the valley. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_food.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_food.html Pakistan In late 2007, economic recession combined with a regional drought brought poor communities to their knees in rural western Pakistan. Families stopped sending their children to school, and instead put them to work to help pay for their evening bread. With few skills or opportunities, the least fortunate took to the streets to become beggars. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_onlinemedicine.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_onlinemedicine.html Pakistan Occasional illness is a natural part of growing up, but nine-yearold Fauzia was miserable most all of the time. Recurring ear and throat pain led her worried parents to take the girl to a nearby health clinic in Attock, a district capital in Pakistan's Punjab province. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_computer.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_computer.html Turkmenistan Until recently, Yulia Rashitova, a resident of the remote Turkmen town Turkmenabat, was unemployed. But thanks to the computer and Internet skills she gained at the USAID-funded Internet access and training center in her home town, the young woman has started her professional career. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_hematology.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_hematology.html Turkmenistan Saodat Romanova - a laboratory physician at House of Health #5 in Turkmenabat, recalls how recently, her diagnostic skills helped to reverse an erroneous and alarming diagnosis. A six-year-old boy from Lebap Velayat, Turkmenistan, was taken to his family physician by his parents, who were concerned by their son's lack of appetite and lethargic behavior. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_tb.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_tb.html Turkmenistan TB patients have to adhere to a long treatment course even after they're no longer experiencing TB symptoms in order to become completely cured. Effective counseling is essential in ensuring that patients understand their infection and get fully cured, so that the disease does not spread further or morph into more dangerous forms. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_uzb_creditunion.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_uzb_creditunion.html Uzbekistan Today Gairatjon Otajonov, a member of Mador Credit Union in Kokand City, the Ferghana Valley, runs his own bread-baking business. Yet just recently this man was working as a flour salesman in a small shop and, despite his dreams to open a bakery, had no hope to become his own boss any time soon. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_vie_copies.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_vie_copies.html Vietnam Dang Van Toan shuffled across the floor of his garage-sized shop. Flipping a switch, he warmed up his new photocopy machine against the din of heavy pounding and drilling from the metalworker next door. For years Toan hoped he would one day have his own business. With USAID training and some seed money, he has seen his dream come true in Me, Vietnam. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_vie_disability.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_vie_disability.html Vietnam Le Thi Le hit the fast track early in life. As the top student in her primary school level, she was singled out for high achievement and tested her way into a gifted school in Tam Diep town in Vietnam's Ninh Binh province. Biking four miles to class, she maintained her grades and kept academic pace with fellow pupils. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_vie_ngoc.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_vie_ngoc.html Vietnam Patiently, Pham Thi Bich Ngoc angled her right elbow to type in what she would like to be when she grows up. Beaming, she threw a sideways glance at a teacher. The laptop screen read "doctor" in Vietnamese. The room burst out in a chorus of approval led by Ngoc's mother, Bui Thi Mai. Daughter and mother are defiant: they will not allow cerebral palsy to dampen Ngoc's aspirations and outlook. Through a USAID-supported education program, she is finding pathways to inclusion in her community. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:28:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/nigeria/ss_nga_polio.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/nigeria/ss_nga_polio.html Nigeria Nigerian woman affected by polio renews hope with sewing training Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:20:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uzbekistan/ss_uzb_tb.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uzbekistan/ss_uzb_tb.html Uzbekistan A public service announcement educates Uzbeks about TB symptoms and treatment Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:03:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_teaching.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_teaching.html Turkmenistan A teacher promotes new learning methods to expand opportunities for rural children Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:03:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_minors.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_minors.html Colombia Colombia's child abuse victims now have advocates to protect their rights Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:03:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_animals.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/afghanistan/ss_afg_animals.html Afghanistan Veterinary clinics keep Badakhshan's livestock alive and healthy Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:03:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/nigeria/fp_nga_fistula.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/nigeria/fp_nga_fistula.html Nigeria USAID helps women with fistula repair their bodies and their lives. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:03:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/drc/cs_cod_children.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/drc/cs_cod_children.html Democratic Republic of Congo Outreach in DR Congo aims to reduce trauma faced by youth forced to fight in conflict. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:03:10 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_realestate.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_realestate.html Egypt A new real estate office in one of Cairo's poorest slums is enabling more residents to buy homes and protect their property rights. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:35:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kosovo/pc_ksv_afterschool.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kosovo/pc_ksv_afterschool.html Kosovo A USAID program in Kosovo helped make afterschool English and computer classes possible for more than 1,000 students in 13 schools nationwide. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uganda/ss_uga_alyao.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uganda/ss_uga_alyao.html Uganda The Northern Uganda Malaria, AIDS, and TB program increases people's access to prevention, care, and support services Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uganda/ss_uga_hiv.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/uganda/ss_uga_hiv.html Uganda For a local policeman, joining efforts with a USAID program to address sexual and gender-based violence in his community was a welcome challenge. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/cs_alb_tv.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/cs_alb_tv.html Albania USAID-supported training for law students gives 'teeth' to implement law agains domestic violence Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_maternity.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_maternity.html Kazakhstan Maternity hospitals in the country's capital are offering better maternal and child care thanks to USAID Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_journalism.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_journalism.html Kazakhstan After studying in U.S.' a specialist aims to professionalize Kazakh media Mon, 22 Sep 2009 09:30:02 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/ethiopia/ss_eth_volunteer.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/ethiopia/ss_eth_volunteer.html Ethiopia USAID trains volunteer health extension workers across Ethiopia Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kosovo/cs_ksv_accountable.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kosovo/cs_ksv_accountable.html Kosovo USAID-Sponsored televised mayoral debates in Kosovo help citizens stay informed and hold elected officials accountable for their election promises. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_justicehouses.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_justicehouses.html Colombia USAID Justice House program provides community-based dispute resolutions and conflict prevention programs throughout Colombia. The Colombian government recognized the success of the program and is now backing the Justice Houses. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_theater.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_theater.html Colombia USAID Supported a Justice and Human Rights Education Project for Colombian Children Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_virtualcourt.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/ss_col_virtualcourt.html Colombia USAID installed Virtual Court Rooms in areas afected by violence Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_george.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/egypt/ss_egy_george.html Egypt USAID-supported center helps families help children with disabilities in Egypt Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/haiti/ss_hti_biometric.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/haiti/ss_hti_biometric.html Haiti The technical solution uses electronic fingerprint data for client identification, thereby providing caisse clients with the ability to access financial services at other participating caisses Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/nepal/ss_nep_health.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/nepal/ss_nep_health.html Nepal USAID-Sponsored televised mayoral debates in Kosovo help citizens stay informed and hold elected officials accountable for their election promises. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/liberia/fp_lbr_reading.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/liberia/fp_lbr_reading.html Liberia With a wide grin, twinkling eyes, and no-nonsense nature of a retired school teacher, Peace Corps Response Volunteer Gloria Reichmann welcomes students into the USAID Learning Resource Center in Bong County, Liberia. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:22:33 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/liberia/ss_lbr_nightschool.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/liberia/ss_lbr_nightschool.html Liberia Less than two percent of Liberia's estimated two million rural dwellers have access to electricity. Most rely on candles or small kerosene lamps to light up their evening activities. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:05:20 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_birthing.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/pakistan/ss_pak_birthing.html Pakistan USAID established the Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns (PAIMAN) to address the country's lack of quality obstetric care. Supported by USAID, PAIMAN collaborates with community-based organizations all over the country to renovate and establish clinics, distribute medical supplies, educate the public through various media, and train traditional birth attendants and midwives. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:04:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/zimbabwe/fp_zmb_hiv.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/zimbabwe/fp_zmb_hiv.html Zimbabwe Blessing and Clemence Kanukai, husband and wife, play two of the lead acting roles in a USAID-funded film aimed at encouraging disclosure of HIV status between women receiving prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services, their partners, and other significant people in their lives. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:36:43 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/zimbabwe/fp_zmb_davies.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/zimbabwe/fp_zmb_davies.html Zimbabwe In the USAID-funded television advertisement, Mazodze explains that he was so ill that his parents started distributing his property. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:36:41 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/sudan/ss_sud_resource.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/sudan/ss_sud_resource.html Sudan As a public health officer at the Southern Sudan Ministry of Health, Abdullah Rahman needed up-to-date information to support his work. Even in the capital city of Juba, it wasn't easy to find what he was looking for. " Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:37:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/sudan/ss_sdn_medicine.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/sudan/ss_sdn_medicine.html Sudan When people are ill in southern Sudan, they are lucky if they have a health facility where they can go to for care. The civil war between north and south Sudan that marked much of Sudan's 52 years of independence severely stunted the growth of southern Sudan's health system, and as a result, as much as 75% of the population is estimated to have no access to healthcare. Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:28:21 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_peer.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_peer.html Kazakhstan Alexei Kulikov, 30, always wanted to make a difference in his community, and a USAID study tour in the U.S. gave him the tools to accomplish this dream. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:37:15 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/djibouti/ss_dji_health.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/djibouti/ss_dji_health.html Djibouti "Sometimes I walk a long way to visit with women in their camps. They don't always want to listen, and sometimes they don't have time to talk. But I keep going - now we know things we didn't know before and we can be healthier," says Saida, a community health worker in rural Djibouti. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:36:59 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tajikistan/ss_taj_cars.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/tajikistan/ss_taj_cars.html Sudan Today, Jamshed Bafaev sees his future in helping his country. "We need to work and make Tajikistan a better place," he said. His outlook changed dramatically during a USAID-sponsored internship in the United States, where he was inspired to stay in his native Tajikistan and work to better it. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:38:12 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kyrgyzstan/ss_kyr_roza.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kyrgyzstan/ss_kyr_roza.html Kyrgyzstan Thousands of Kyrgyz are learning to appreciate diversity, women's rights, and the United States thanks to a woman who participated in a USAID study tour in the United States. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:37:31 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/fp_alb_oils.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/fp_alb_oils.html Albania From humble business beginnings buying and selling blueberries, Xhevit Hysenaj, owner of Xherdo: Medicinal Plants and Essential Oils, is now dealing in berries, herbs, and oils. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 09:17:30 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/cs_alb_pediatric.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/cs_alb_pediatric.html Albania Infant mortality in Albania, at 15 per 1,000 births, is three times that of other European countries. Pediatricians throughout Albania often face the daunting task of diagnosing and treating various children's ailments without the proper medical supplies. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:35:34 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kosovo/cs_ksv_university.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kosovo/cs_ksv_university.html Kosovo Through the USAID-funded Performance Improvement and Digitalization project at the University of Prishtina, the university has launched a campaign to better inform students about the admissions, semester registration and exam registration processes. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:36:07 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/easttimor/fp_tim_chef.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/easttimor/fp_tim_chef.html Timor-Leste Until recently, Ana Florinda da Costa, 25, from a remote village in Baucau, was among Timor-Leste's unemployed youth. Florinda da Costa, has always kept herself busy building skills that could help her get a good job, but it wasn't until she heard about a USAID internship program that she got her big break. Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:33:34 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/philippines/pc_phl_mediation.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/philippines/pc_phl_mediation.html Philippines The strategy of restoring the natural productivity of marine resources by prohibiting or limiting access to them is well-proven and has become widely accepted in the Philippines. But setting up a marine sanctuary can still present challenges. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:11:03 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/cambodia/ss_khm_health.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/cambodia/ss_khm_health.html Cambodia In 1997, Cambodia erupted into violence as rival political parties fought for power. In response, many international donors closed their programs and pulled out of the country. Left behind without administrative and technical support, many Cambodians working in the health sector floundered. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:09:32 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/bangladesh/pc_bgd_eggplant.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/bangladesh/pc_bgd_eggplant.html Bangladesh In Gaidghat, a small village in western Bangladesh, under the shade of a bamboo-framed thatch roof, Shovarani Kar and Trishna Rani Biswas sit and work with razor blades and eggplant seedlings. With quick and careful movement of hand-on-plant, the two women are able to graft a high-yielding variety of eggplant onto the rootstock of another variety that is resistant to a devastating soil-borne scourge: bacterial wilt. Fri, 19, Jun 2009 15:07:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/bangladesh/ss_bgd_pheromones.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/bangladesh/ss_bgd_pheromones.html Bangladesh Like many farmers in Bangladesh, Nazrul Islam Khan, from the western district of Jessore, grows cucurbits, plants from the gourd family that include cucumbers and melons. For many years, he and his neighbors suffered great losses due to the melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae), an insect that decimates cucurbit crops. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:06:42 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_water.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_water.html Kazakhstan The Yassy community near the city of Turkistan in Southern Kazakhstan, has been swelling in size as urban residents migrate out of the city, displacing farmers, many of whom no longer have access to reliable irrigation. Mounting tensions eased after USAID helped Yassy build an irrigation system to benefit local farmers. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:05:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_summercamp.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/kazakhstan/ss_kaz_summercamp.html Kazakhstan When she embarked on a USAID Community Connections study tour to the United States, Anara Zhakupova couldn't imagine the impact the program would have on her life. The skills and contacts gained allowed her to create a new English-language program for at-risk youth in her village of Pervomaiskiy in the Northeast Kazakhstan Region. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:03:14 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/honduras/ss_hnd_food.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/honduras/ss_hnd_food.html Honduras Sabina Vasquez remembers that as a child, the only food in her home was a piece of tortilla, a pinch of salt, and a few beans to mitigate her hunger. Sabina is now a middle-aged woman, mother of three children, and housewife. She is also treasurer of a local community bank and a recognized leader. She lives in Semane, Intibuca, one of the poorest and least developed areas of Honduras, which has benefited in recent years from a USAID program aimed at ensuring food security and nutrition for Semane residents. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:10:54 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_alumna.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/turkmenistan/ss_tkm_alumna.html Turkmenistan Using the knowledge and skills gained during a USAID study tour, Aynabad Muhamova opened a resource center for youth in the remote Beyik Turkmenbashy district in the Lebap province of Turkmenistan. The inspiration for the center came when, along with eight other representatives from Turkmenistan, Muhamova traveled to Raleigh, N.C., for a 3-week USAID training aimed at exposing Turkmen professionals to new ways of reaching atrisk youth and new methods for preventing drug abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:11:08 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/fp_alb_disability.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/albania/fp_alb_disability.html Albania After an automobile accident several years ago, Teuta Halilaj's life changed. In a moment, her whole environment became accessible only from a wheelchair and her self-confi dence dwindled. Then she realized, "If you want life to smile for you, you must smile first. We women with disabilities must make that fi rst step and change our fate." Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:31:22 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/vietnam/ss_vie_school.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/vietnam/ss_vie_school.html Vietnam Ninth grader Y Nga bikes to her new school each morning through rolling, green hills. She passes the old elementary school where she and her junior high friends last year shared cramped quarters with younger pupils, and winds up the rocky dirt path. The road improves dramatically, suddenly, and she presses on up the terraced plateau. Her daily effort is breathtaking - and ends with the most spectacular vista for hundreds of miles. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:15:34 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/fp_col_liliam.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/fp_col_liliam.html Colombia Liliam Mayini Macías is only 20 years old, but already an expert in specialty coffee. While other young women in Colombia's vulnerable rural areas are forced to work in illicit activities to earn an income, Liliam participated in a USAID-funded alternative development project in the central Colombian Department of Tolima. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:10:00 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/fp_col_maria.html http://www.usaid.gov/stories/colombia/fp_col_maria.html Colombia For ten years, former cook "Maria" worked in a coca plantation in the Department of Arauca, in northern Colombia on the border with Venezuela. Despite the danger and violence associated with cultivating coca, she processed and sometimes harvested the leaves, hoping to raise enough money to buy a house. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:26:23 -0500