Malawi is an extremely poor country, with 41 percent of its population living in poverty, and a low ranking of 173 out of 187 countries in the 2015 UN Development Program Human Development Index. More than 80 percent of Malawians live in rural areas and depend largely on rain-fed agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to recurrent drought, climatic variation, and natural disasters. Malawi periodically experiences major reductions in food production due to climatic shocks, and the situation is exacerbated by an unfavorable policy environment, low investment in agriculture, and lack of agriculture diversification.
The goal of USAID’s Initiative for Hygiene, Sanitation and Nutrition (IHSAN) project is to improve the nutritional status of women of reproductive age and children less than five years old, with a focus on the first 1,000 days (conception to 24 months of age). The expected outcomes of the IHSAN are to decrease stunting by at least 5 percent over five years, and reduce anemia among women of reproductive age by at least 10 percent.
USAID’s Regional Governance Activity (RGA) works closely with Government of Colombia (GOC) counterparts to assist public officials in 40 conflict-affected municipalities to strengthen their capacity to serve their citizens.
Since 2005, the Observatorio de la Democracia of Universidad de los Andes (OD-Uniandes), through the USAID project Americas Barometer-LAPOP (Latin American Public Opinion Project), has been conducting and disseminating the research for the Colombia portion of the regional Americas Barometer study.
USAID supports the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) efforts to contribute towards peacebuilding and improving the situation of human rights in Colombia.
USAID’s Human Rights Activity (HRA) will work closely with GOC and civil society organizations in 9 conflict-affected regions. HRA will track the shifting nature of the conflict, accommodating those shifts through programmatic flexibility and focusing resources to maximize impact on vulnerable populations.
Strengthening the presence and performance of institutions in rural areas is essential to support the effective implementation of a potential peace agreement and to fill the space currently occupied by illegal armed actors.
The Access to Justice Activity (AJA) partners with the Government of Colombia in supporting a more inclusive, equitable and efficient justice system with a greater presence in conflict-affected areas of the country.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), founded in 1975, represents 15 West African member states. Its mission is to promote economic integration in "all fields of economic activity, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters." ECOWAS undertakes an extensive range of work to coordinate policies, standards and systems across West Africa. USAID’s partnership with ECOWAS aligns with the aims of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future: supporting local countries to develop their own agriculture sectors to generate opportunities for economic growth and trade.
USAID/Colombia’s Civil Society Strengthening Activity (CSSA) is a four-year program aimed at improving relationships between Colombian citizens, civil society organizations and government institutions.
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