Standing Up Against Global Poverty

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Darius Mans, Acting Chief Executive Officer

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 MCCs ongoing commitment to help reduce global poverty. In partnership with countries worldwide, we continue to measure the impact of MCCs 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 MCCs 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 MCCs 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.

And, results in the fight against global poverty will certainly be the underlying theme next week as MCCs 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 worlds poor. Join us Wednesday, October 21 for a public forum with these directors from Africa, Eurasia, and Central America.