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BUREAU FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH, PARTNERSHIPS, AND INNOVATION
LOCAL, FAITH, AND TRANSFORMATIVE PARTNERSHIPS HUB
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Locally Led Development Initiatives |
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CENTROAMÉRICA LOCAL, TWO YEARS IN: REDUCING DRIVERS OF MIGRATION
2024- ISSUE 1
In November 2021, USAID announced Centroamérica Local, a five-year, $300 million initiative to support local organizations, communities, and leaders in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Through Centroamérica Local, USAID is expanding its outreach to local actors, including indigenous and women-led organizations. USAID is also removing barriers to make it easier to partner and elevate local leadership in USAID's work. Programs led by over 25 local partners are delivering locally owned and sustainable solutions in support of the Biden-Harris Administration's U.S. Strategy for Addressing the Root Causes of Migration in Central America. This newsletter edition features two stories that show how USAID’s Local Works program supports the Agency’s Centroamérica Local initiative through its commitment to locally led development.
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EL SALVADOR: A DREAM SEWN TRUE |
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 PHOTO CAPTION: ADA GONZALEZ POSES ALONGSIDE ONE OF HER CUSTOM-DESIGNED DRESSES. PHOTO CREDIT: ENRIQUE ALARCON FOR USAID.
USAID/El Salvador and Fundación Rafael Meza Ayau joined forces in 2021 to improve the quality of life for families living in Soyapango, an area previously known as inaccessible due to pervasive violence. Funded by Local Works, the High Impact Soyapango project, in alliance with Fundación Salvadoreña de Apoyo Integral, has provided micro-entrepreneurs with training and funding to improve their business management skills, enabling them to launch successful small businesses. Discover the impact of these efforts on the life of a young seamstress named Ada Gonzalez.
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EL SALVADOR: MAKING MARKETS WORK FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS |
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 PHOTO CAPTION: AN EL SALVADORAN FARMER PROUDLY DISPLAYS THEIR SEEDLING. PHOTO CREDIT: ENRIQUE ALARCON FOR USAID
In partnership with USAID/El Salvador, Acceso trains unemployed women, youth, and returned migrants to develop farming skills in El Salvador. The Acceso team accompanies farmers from “seed to store,” helping them to grow, harvest, and market their produce. Many Salvadoran farmers who participated in the training program now own their own plots of land, have increased their harvests, sell their products at stable prices, and are building a better future for their families. In partnership with the private sector, more than 30,000 farmers will participate in this initiative to expand seed commercialization, strengthen food systems, improve livelihoods, and increase income.
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🏆 LOCALLY LED DEVELOPMENT CHAMPION OF THE MONTH 🏆 |
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Locally Led Development Champions – Local Works Mission staff – who are nominated by the Local Works DC team – embody the spirit of locally led development through their commitment, dedication, innovation, advocacy, and exemplary initiative to advancing its work. They advance and operationalize USAID’s localization agenda every day.
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 Photo: Locally Led Development Champion Dr. Ajb'ee Jimenez from USAID/Guatemala Photo Credit: USAID/Guatemala
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Over the past six years, Dr. Ajb’ee Jimenez has been a catalyst for Indigenous Peoples engagement at USAID/Guatemala. As the Mission’s Senior Advisor for Indigenous Peoples Issues, Dr. Jimenez is shifting mindsets and fostering a deeper understanding of communities and the challenges they face.
Discover how Dr. Jimenez spearheaded efforts at USAID/Guatemala to meaningfully and intentionally engage with Indigenous communities and leaders since 2017.
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LOCAL CAPACITY STRENGTHENING POLICY LEARNING AND FEEDBACK FORUM
One year after the launch of the Local Capacity Strengthening (LCS) Policy, USAID hosted the first annual Learning and Feedback Forum in October of 2023. The Forum brought together 1,770 participants from 108 countries, including local organizations, global stakeholders, and USAID staff across all sectors. What’s next for the LCS Policy implementation? USAID’s Bureau of Inclusive Growth, Partnerships, and Innovation is updating the Policy implementation priorities and action items based on feedback from the Forum.
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BLOGS & PRESS
'We the People': Electric Co-ops Are Catching On in Africa
Guatemala: Awakening from a nightmare - Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for exploitation in forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. In Guatemala, USAID and El Refugio de la Niñez aim to help youth who have been victims of violence or trafficking networks by providing reintegration and protection services, improving prevention and protection against trafficking, and strengthening the capacity of the Government of Guatemala.
Doing ‘Development Differently’ and Other Ideas on Localization features comments from Dr. Isooba, a thought leader in the localization movement. Dr. Isooba also shared his insights during the LCS Forum at the DRG session.
Listening Well Through Locally Led Development shares how Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and Shared Insight’s international committees’ desire to promote funder listening practices outside the U.S. led to a new focus in its international work: encouraging U.S.-based foundations that work globally to support locally led efforts and promote the localization movement.
Press Release: USAID Launches Rural Financial Inclusion Program in Guatemala- Aligned with IPI/LFT’s current activities under the Cooperative Development Program, USAID will invest an additional $6 million in a Feed the Future rural financial inclusion program in Guatemala. This effort will build the capacity of small and medium enterprises, such as cooperatives and credit unions to empower vulnerable populations, particularly women, youth and Indigenous Peoples communities.
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RESOURCES
PARTNER DIRECTORY ON WORKWITHUSAID.GOV
WorkwithUSAID.gov helps prospective and existing partners learn how to better compete for USAID funding. To discover the wealth of information, and tools available in multiple languages, begin your exploration of the site by checking out the Partner Directory:
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Partner Directory: A repository of 3,700+ development organizations working to make sustainable changes in communities world-wide. Organizations may add their own information to increase visibility among USAID staff and organizations looking to collaborate.
- Also, visit WorkwithUSAID.gov’s dedicated page to discover a variety of local funding opportunities.
NEW CASE STUDY: CONSIDERING CO-DESIGNING YOUR NEXT AWARD?
Learn about the achievements of the Balkan Media Assistance Program made possible by the project’s use of locally led development enabling tools such as engaging in co-design and relying on local expertise during the planning and implementation phases of the project. Explore more localization resources on DRGLinks.
WEB PAGE: USAID LEARNING LAB LOCALLY LED MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING
For local partners new to working with USAID, the Agency’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) requirements can be challenging to navigate. Discover a collection of guidance, tools, and examples that USAID and its partners can use to apply a locally led approach to MEL on this new web page.
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Locally Led Development Initiatives are part of the Local, Faith, and Transformative Partnerships (LFT) Hub. The LFT Hub focuses on strengthening USAID’s ability to partner with non-traditional and diverse actors including local, faith-based, and community organizations; schools and hospitals; foundations; diaspora communities; cooperatives; and volunteer organizations.
Stay up to date with all the latest information from USAID’s LFT Hub by subscribing to these additional newsletters!
- American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA)
- Cooperative Development Program (CDP)
- Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (FBNP)
- Limited Excess Property Program (LEPP)
- Locally Led Development Initiatives (LLDI)
- New Partnerships Initiative (NPI)
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