Economic opportunity
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Photo: Sean Sheridan for Mercy Corps
Markets, whether large or small, keep communities thriving. But conflicts, disasters and a lack of infrastructure can prevent people from conducting the daily transactions on which all growth and progress depend. Around the world, Mercy Corps discovers why commerce is stuck.
In some places, manufacturers need loans to purchase equipment and young people desire job skills. In others, key transportation routes to market must be rebuilt or farmers require better storage to keep their inventory fresh until sold.
Our economic development projects provide financing, equipment, training or technical support. These projects help people find jobs, build their businesses, supply their communities with the goods they need —and improve their lives.
All stories about Economic opportunity
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Haiti: On the road, sharing good news about Haiti October 11, 2010
For the past two weeks or so, I’ve been on the road between New York and Washington, DC, attending meetings, conferences and learning events, as well as spending time with our partners and key Mercy Corps staff.
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Kyrgyzstan: The absence of a smile ≠ the absence of warmth October 8, 2010
As Kyrgyzstan's October 10 elections approach, I think about my friends and colleagues over there and hope for their safety. Without a doubt, Kyrgyzstan and its people made an imprint on me, and taught me to challenge my assumptions.
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Afghanistan: Afghan farmers get noticed by NY Times October 8, 2010
I'm a big consumer of news, and sometimes I get tired of reading about the same old cadre of high-profile folks: politicians, celebrities, big business types — the "news makers." It's rare to hear about how current events impact normal people; even rarer to hear about the impoverished and voicele
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Somalia: Fighting for survival October 7, 2010
In my daily field supervision of programme activities, I encounter different scenarios about the people we support. Some are strong and challenging, while others are somewhat weakened by life's difficulties.
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Indonesia: From gloom to loom October 4, 2010
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India: Catching up with old friends October 2, 2010
I should clarify that before a few weeks ago, I had never met Sonia and Rima. But when we met, I felt like I was catching up with old friends. I knew about the challenges they faced growing up on Assam's tea estates — and their aspirations to own their own successful beauty salon.
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Cleaner, safer living through improved cookstoves October 1, 2010
Cooking is one of the most basic human activities.
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Tajikistan: Dress for success September 30, 2010
Sitting in a room with four other girls, Gulshan Chorieva holds up a dress that she and the other sewing students have been working on under guidance of the master seamstress.
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Tajikistan: Through a Caring Lens September 24, 2010
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Ethiopia: Partnering with Angelique Kidjo to help Ethiopian girls stay in school September 22, 2010
Starting today, there will be more educational opportunities for young women in some of southern Ethiopia's poorest villages.