CEO Daniel Yohannes is greeted by school children from Escola de Ensino Basico de Chã de Tanque in Santa Catarina.

When Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called Cape Verde “a model of democracy and economic progress in Africa,” she was not exaggerating.  Cape Verde, just off Africa’s West Coast, and its people are truly vibrant.  My time here in Cape Verde has been short, yet productive.  I visited newly constructed roads, which, incidentally, were the first MCC-funded roads to be completed in Africa.   We stopped at an elementary school along the road MCC is funding in Cha de Tanque, where the children welcomed our team with a touching song.     I heard from local mayors, farmers, and businesses, who explained to me how the new roads are bringing greater access to markets, schools, and health facilities.  I was extremely impressed with the model e-government system underway, offering a host of government services integrated and online; their systems, in many ways, are more advanced than some government services here in the U.S.

Daniel Yohannes and Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves address members of the press during a press conference in Cape Verde, Friday, February 5, 2010.

One of the most challenging but worthwhile projects being undertaken by MCA-Cape Verde, the local entity implementing Cape Verde’s $110 million MCC compact, is the rehabilitation of the Port of Praia, which handles half of the island nation’s cargo.  I toured the tremendous progress being made at the project site.     As these photos show, this is a massive project involving complex engineering and construction.  When the port is completed and the compact ends in October, Cape Verde stands to increase its international and domestic trading capacity substantially.

Port of Praia - Before

Port of Praia - After

I was impressed also with the vibrancy of the local business owners and entrepreneurs I met, all of whom were excited about investing in Cape Verde’s future.  One local entrepreneur expressed a hopeful vision of Cape Verde harnessing the island nation’s many days of sunshine and strong winds for alternative energy projects.  In my meeting with the Prime Minister, he expressed similar aspirations for his country.  These kinds of innovative ideas are needed if Cape Verde is to overcome its constraints and grow into the regional success story I believe it can be.

During his first official visit to Ghana, MCC CEO Daniel Yohannes meets the Chief of the region.

For my first official trip as MCC’s CEO, I chose to look at MCC projects in two African partner countries, Ghana and Cape Verde. Both countries are well into their compacts, and I wanted to come and see the impact our funds are having on the lives of the men and women here.

I just completed the Ghana portion of the trip and am very excited about this country’s future. MCC is investing $547 million into making agriculture more productive, building schools, and paving roads. The numbers are impressive enough, but until you see the progress on the ground, it is hard to truly understand how complex, integrated, and successful this compact is.

Much of the credit for the success goes to the Ghanaians themselves, who set up an entity called MiDA that will exist and foster economic development long after the MCC compact is over. I also want to acknowledge MCC’s resident mission, led by Jim Bednar, Resident Country Director, and Katerina Ntep, Deputy Resident Country Director, who are working with the Ghanaians to oversee implementation.

As a child of Africa, I was thrilled to meet some of the boys and girls who now sit in classrooms for their lessons, instead of under trees. The Ghanaians identified lack of education as a constraint to their country’s economic growth, and MCC is proud to help address this challenge by funding the building of 310 schools, of which 65 are already finished. We have seen enrollment increase substantially. The number of girls in just the two schools I visited has doubled. This project is also an important example of collaboration and coordination with our partners at USAID, who are training teachers for the schools we are building.

In addition to the schools I visited, I was able to inspect progress on some of the rural roads our funds are paving, talk to pineapple farmers about how MCC-funded investments in cold storage are helping them export their crops, and meet a number of people who now have full rights and title to their property, thanks to the MCC-funded land titling project.

All of these elements are critical to successfully driving sustainable economic growth in Ghana through increased agriculture productivity. MCC’s five year program, therefore, works up and down the value chain. It starts with training the small farmer, works with banks to ensure he or she has access to credit, supports cooperative farming, and develops the roads to get products to markets.

LEFT: MCC CEO Daniel Yohannes meets Mavis, a rice farmer who increased her yield from five bags of rice a season to more than 140 bags after a MCC-funded training program. They meet at the MiDA office. RIGHT: MCC CEO Daniel Yohannes participates in a ceremony at Winneba to distribute land title certificates to about 30 people, half of whom are women.

I was honored to be part of the group who passed out land title certificates to about 30 people, half women. MCC is funding new offices and surveys to provide these official land titles to a total of about 5,000 Ghanaians. As the many government ministers in attendance said, these titles are an absolutely critical step in ensuring economic growth. If people have title to their land, they can use that asset to access credit and have the security they need to expand production. I was particularly happy to see so many women obtaining titles in their names.

Before we left, I met with representatives of both the local and international private sector, who are also very excited about Ghana’s future and MCC’s role in addressing economic constraints. I met one farmer who was able to increase her yield from five bags of rice a season to more than 140 bags after a MCC-funded training program, and another farmer who increased his income from around $60 a year to over $1,070 by changing his crops to line up with international market demand. In Ghana, we have literally hundreds of stories of men and women like these who now “see their farms as businesses and not just as an occupation,” as one program participant said.

I also had a good meeting with Ghanaian President John Atta-Mills, who, like many Ghanaians I met, was keenly interested in learning how Ghana could qualify for a second compact when the current compact finishes in two years. The president reaffirmed his commitment to making sure the projects finish on time, with transparency, accountability, and measured results.

It is clear to me that there is real opportunity in Ghana. I look forward to the next half of my trip to see the progress unfolding in Cape Verde.

As the international community prepares to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty tomorrow, this is an important opportunity to take stock of MCC’s ongoing commitment to help reduce global poverty.  In partnership with countries worldwide, we continue to measure the impact of MCC’s results-focused investments totaling more than $7 billion.

What we see is a promising start.  To date, more than 87,677 farmers have been trained worldwide, and MCC-funded programs have made $29 million in agricultural and rural loans possible.  More than 12,236 hectares of land are under production, helping farmers increase their food security and take care of their families.  We have completed the construction of two new roads in Cape Verde, the first roads to be completed by MCC in Africa.  Around the world, we have more than 1,177 kilometers of roads under construction, helping communities reach markets and critical services, like schools and health clinics.  New schools have been built in Ghana and Burkina Faso, and we already know through an independent impact evaluation that both enrollment rates and test scores increased in Burkina Faso.  Be sure to bookmark and revisit often the dedicated results section of our website to track the progress we are making.

Another dimension of MCC’s progress is our work toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  Many of the events surrounding the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focus on the MDGs.  MCC is one smart tool the Obama Administration is using to help countries reach these targets by 2015.  This means supporting not only country-driven programs that specifically address the MDGs but also country-led policy reforms that are essential for their sustainability well beyond 2015.  I invite you to read more about how MCC’s assistance is helping countries reach the MDGs.

The unfolding progress against poverty was the topic of a fruitful discussion yesterday when communicators from the international development community met at MCC to brainstorm ways of highlighting results.

Yesterday, MCC’s Managing Director for Public Affairs Aaron Sherinian welcomed Kathy Crosby of the Ad Council and co-host Nasserie Carew, Senior Public Relations Director at InterAction, to MCC for a lively roundtable discussion among communication professionals on how best to communicate results in the fight against global poverty.

And, results in the fight against global poverty will certainly be the underlying theme next week as MCC’s Resident Country Directors and Deputy Resident Country Directors, serving in MCC partner countries worldwide, gather in Washington for their annual conference.  This gathering gives them an opportunity to engage in technical training as well as intense discussions about lessons learned and best practices.  It also gives our stakeholders a firsthand occasion to hear directly from these individuals about the progress underway to improve the standard of living for the world’s poor.  Join us Wednesday, October 21 for a public forum with these directors from Africa, Eurasia, and Central America.

Standing from left to right, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Ambassador Johnnie Carson, U.S. Ambassador to Senegal Marcia Bernicat, President of Senegal Abdoulaye Wade, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senegal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, and Senegal’s Ambassador to the United States Amadou Lamine Ba witness the signing of Senegal’s $540 million compact by Senegal’s Minister of Economy and Finance Abdoulaye Dip and MCC’s Acting CEO Darius Mans.

Today, I had the distinct privilege of joining President Abdoulaye Wade and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for the signing of Senegal’s $540 million MCC compact.  Senegal’s Minister of Economy and Finance Abdoulaye Diop and I signed the compact during a ceremony at the State Department.  This grant, which reflects Senegalese development priorities, will rehabilitate two major roads and expand a major irrigation and water resources management system.  These investments will be critical to boosting agricultural productivity, economic growth, trade, and food security.  This marks the first MCC compact to be signed during the Obama Administration, reflecting the President’s clear commitment to helping countries help themselves with a focus on transparency and accountability.

In fact, as I participated in today’s signing, it was clear that Senegal is already proof of President Obama’s words that “Africa’s future is up to Africans.”  The signing of Senegal’s MCC compact demonstrates the country’s commitment to lead its own development, build its capacity, and strengthen its institutions – - doing its part to make a difference in the lives of its citizens.  This compact resulted from extensive nationwide consultations with government agencies, donors, NGOs, civil society, women’s groups, and private sector associations, making its projects truly by and for the people of Senegal.  Senegal invested $20 million of its own resources to prepare its MCC compact, including conducting detailed feasibility and design studies for all projects.

As a result of such upfront, homegrown commitment, the Senegal compact we signed today is a strong roadmap for long-term economic growth.  It reminds us that country-led development—of helping countries already working to help themselves—ensures a smart and effective investment of American assistance.  I am proud of the MCC-Senegal partnership and the real potential it holds for poverty reduction and economic growth.

Now, the hard work of building roads and irrigating farmland begins.  I am confident that Senegal’s diligence in developing its compact will be matched by its resolve to implement it with transparency and accountability, as well as by its tangible actions to combat corruption. This is one sure way to unlock Senegal’s potential and deliver the sustainable results the Senegalese are expecting.

The Obama Administration sent another strong signal of its commitment to fight global poverty by unveiling a $1.42 billion fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Millennium Challenge Corporation.  This figure represents an impressive increase of almost 63 percent in funding for MCC from the amount Congress provided in fiscal year 2009. 

As a “smart power” resource for positive U.S. global engagement, MCC is an innovative, country-led, results-driven approach to reducing global poverty through sustainable economic growth.  Looking ahead, MCC’s fiscal year 2010 budget provides funding for a strong pipeline of countries, including Jordan, Malawi, and the Philippines, that are working with their civil societies to develop homegrown compact proposals that will overcome barriers to economic growth.  The budget also supports MCC’s threshold program, which helps countries not eligible for compacts improve their policy environments.

The fiscal year 2010 budget request will allow MCC to build on its successes to date.  MCC’s signed commitments so far of $6.4 billion will raise the incomes of individuals in partner countries worldwide by nearly $12 billion over the life of our investments.  These gains will benefit more than 22 million people, as improved national and regional infrastructure, agricultural systems and practices, and other community services spur investment and raise local incomes. 

We look forward to working with Congress to fully support the President’s budget request for MCC.

For details on how MCC will allocate the $1.42 billion fiscal year 2010 budget to fight global poverty, read MCC’s just-released Congressional Budget Justification.

We have so much to learn from schoolchildren.  Their curiosity and imagination have never ceased to intrigue and impress me during my service as U.S. Ambassador and, more recently, as Millennium Challenge Corporation CEO.  One of the most gratifying aspects of this job has been the chance to talk with young people in some of the 35 countries where we are partnering to reduce poverty.  My visit to Ghana late last month was a particularly poignant reminder of the huge investment that the United States is making in education around the world.

Education is a major driver of economic growth, which is at the heart of a sound antipoverty strategy.  Last month in Ghana, I participated in the commissioning ceremony for one of the hundreds of schools that will be renovated or built through Ghana’s $547 million MCC compact.  In the joy of the children and the enthusiasm of the teachers, we can already see how our investments in education are making a difference.  Investing in education enhances future earnings and employment opportunities for students, while contributing to overall economic growth and poverty reduction.  In addition to Ghana, MCC grants support educational programs in Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Mongolia, Morocco, Niger, and Namibia.

I was also in Ghana to preside over the groundbreaking of a major road project, together with President Kufuor.  Funded through Ghana’s MCC compact, the rehabilitation of this critical transportation route from the capital of Accra to the port of Tema will help farmers get their products to the marketplace in a quicker, more cost-efficient manner.  Having pineapples or mangos, for example, sit on the back of a lorry for three hours on their way to markets wastes time and fuel and shortens the fruit’s shelf-life.  This new roadway will transform Ghana’s agriculture sector and help fuel sustainable economic growth.  I am proud of these tangible results unfolding in our partner countries worldwide.  Investments in infrastructure are essential to the very real needs for development our partners themselves have identified as vital for long-term growth and prosperity.

Our partners also consistently identify secure and efficient access to land as critical for sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.  We have seen our partners invest their MCC grants in ways to promote improved legal frameworks, more client service-oriented property registries, and formal recording of land rights in selected communities.  To further discuss the importance of secure land tenure for the poor, I welcomed Ron Terwilliger, Chairman of the Board for Habitat for Humanity International, to MCC last Thursday for a standing-room only event to delve into the “housing crisis that no one is talking about”-the issue of secure land tenure for the world’s poor.

Investments in education, infrastructure, and land tenure are making a difference in ways that matter to the poor.  MCC looks forward to advancing this progress under the Obama-Biden administration.  We encourage the new administration and congressional representatives, from both parties, to continue the fight to end global poverty through sustainable and results-based programs like MCC.  Given today’s global economic concerns, we recognize the increased importance of investing every dollar of taxpayers’ money wisely when it comes to foreign aid.  MCC remains committed to making smart and innovative investments in countries that are focusing on positive policy reform and delivering tangible results in the fight against poverty.

In the end, fighting global poverty is about good policies, not politics.   It is a fight based on partnership.  Our partners know this; and we know this.  MCC’s effective, results-driven collaboration with partner countries to replace poverty with prosperity is something we can all be proud of as Americans and as responsible and concerned citizens of an increasingly connected world.

Last week, MCC signed threshold agreements with Rwanda and Albania to support their efforts to become eligible for U.S. Government assistance under the Millennium Challenge Account. While these two countries have little in common in terms of geography, cultural heritage, or history, they share a fundamental aspiration: to give their citizens the building blocks to construct economic self-reliance in a meaningful and prosperous way. At a standing-room only ceremony on Capitol Hill to celebrate the threshold program with Rwanda, and at a similar ceremony in Tirana for the threshold program with Albania, there was much discussion about the importance of these building blocks. It is something that the United States is successfully addressing through innovations like MCC.

Systemic poverty robs people of basic freedoms and choices. The sound economic, political, and social policies that MCC expects from its partners are helping create societies where entrepreneurship can flourish. The roads, land titles, schools, water and sanitation improvements, and agricultural programs that MCC supports are allowing men and women to choose their economic path, instead of being constrained by poverty. Rather than fleeing to urban areas or crossing borders, these people are building a solid economic, political, and social future right at home. This builds stability; and greater economic stability for the world’s poor means a healthier global economy and world community for all of us.

Innovations in assistance, such as MCC, are the subject of a historic White House Summit on International Development that will take place in Washington this Tuesday. I am pleased that MCC has been asked to convene a panel discussion on economic growth as part of this meeting. The conversation about how to best deliver U.S. Government assistance continues to underline the need for results-based programs that measure not just the dollars disbursed, but tangible, positive impacts in the lives of the poor. A recent report by Oxfam International discusses this concept and points to MCC as one way it is being addressed. This principle is part of our work in Africa just as much as it is in Eurasia and Latin America. Countries such as Denmark, with whom MCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this month, are also looking at how to maximize their poverty reduction investments abroad, and MCC is proud to be working with them to make that goal a reality. In a month when the world commemorates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and World Food Day, concerted, positive actions like these are among the best things we can do to ensure that the fight against poverty results in tangible, positive impacts for the poor.

These essential building blocks for economic success are something that Americans take seriously. At MCC, by asking recipients of U.S. assistance to enact policies that foster good governance, investments in their people, and greater economic freedom, we are helping strengthen the building blocks for global prosperity that benefit us all. Thank you for your continued comments and feedback at info@mcc.gov.

The U.S. Government’s support for Africa is much more than words alone.  The tangible actions on the ground in places where the Millennium Challenge Corporation operates are evidence that long-term solutions to poverty are hard at work in Africa.  What African leaders continue to tell us is that they don’t want mere donations; they want partnerships.  We have such a partnership with Burkina Faso.  This week’s signing of a $481 million MCC compact with Burkina Faso is an exciting milestone for me personally and for this organization.  President Compaore and I attended the signing ceremony for the grant agreement at the State Department, with MCC Board Chair Condoleezza Rice presiding at the event.  These funds provide more than emergency or temporary relief to Burkina Faso’s economy.  They are designed to go deep into solving the impediments to growth that the country itself identified.  The compact follows a successful two-year, $13 million threshold program to improve girls’ access to education in Burkina Faso that MCC proudly funded.  Having visited the “girl-friendly” schools that MCC funds made possible, I can attest to the effectiveness of this investment.  You can feel the sense of hope and accomplishment in these schools where families and communities can now offer their daughters options for their future.

MCC’s private-sector Board members are already some of our best spokespersons about what our country-driven approach is accomplishing in Africa.  MCC’s Board composition is unique, with private-sector members—along with key government officials—playing a crucial role in guiding the organization in our mission to reduce poverty through growth.  Catholic Relief Services President Ken Hackett, who serves on MCC’s Board as one of those private-sector members, joined me earlier this week to talk about the Burkina Faso compact during an outreach meeting with President Compaore.  Ken shared his first-hand perspective on how investments in Africa are making a difference.  I am also happy to report that MCC Board member Senator Bill Frist is currently in Africa and is visiting MCC projects and beneficiaries as part of his itinerary.  Be sure to read about some of his impressions.

As the debate in Washington continues about how best to deliver foreign assistance, MCC is pleased to see such robust dialogue emerge around the very principles that are at the core of our operating model.  During congressional hearings and meetings in recent weeks, we have heard time and again how aid with accountability, a focus on results, partner country-led solutions, an intolerance for corruption, and investments for long-term economic development are more than nice ideas; they are best practices that should be examined and embraced to deliver U.S. development assistance effectively.  We at MCC welcome this debate and invite you to look further into what is unfolding in the 18 countries where we are working to fight poverty by employing these core principles.  It’s not a fight that any one approach alone can win, but MCC is changing the conversation about foreign assistance and providing an effective action plan.  Poverty, after all, is a foe that demands our actions, and not just our words.