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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Pakistan: Bringing hope to those who have none November 4, 2010
After three long months, many of Pakistan’s millions of flood-displaced citizens are starting to return home. Most are happy and relieved, but all are grappling with the next phase of this devastating disaster: how to rebuild when they have nothing left.
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Haiti: Ready, Steady, Yo! October 28, 2010
Over the weekend of October 16, the third annual “Artisans en Fête” (Artisans Festival) took place in Port-au-Prince. The two-day fair attracted more than 200 artisans that came from all corners of Haiti, presenting wares such as arts, crafts, regional beverages, foods and clothing.
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Tajikistan: In Central Asia's hidden treasure October 26, 2010
As a Desk Officer going on a field visit for the very first time, I could not have asked for a better place to visit than Tajikistan. I’ve come to think of it as a lost and/or hidden treasure in the middle of Central Asia.
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Indonesia: Chocolate starts out tasting like vanilla yoghurt — who knew? October 23, 2010
Whenever I travel, I’m always sure to pack an emergency supply of chocolate. But until yesterday, when I saw cacao trees for the first time and talked to cacao famers in Indonesia about the help they are getting from Mercy Corps, I’d never really thought about where it comes from.
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Kosovo: Coming home after more than 11 years of displacement October 21, 2010
After 11 years of living in the lead-contaminated internally-displaced person (IDP) camps of Cesmin Lug and Osterode near North Mitrovica, Kosovo, the first wave of 50 Kosovo Roma families are resettling into their former neighborhood of Roma Mahalla in the city of South Mitrovica.
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West Bank and Gaza: Helping young women in the West Bank engineer a better future October 15, 2010
“Wow! Look at this turn out – there are so many people here today!”
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Central African Republic: Pride and success for Micheline October 11, 2010
Mercy Corps has set up a program to support women, train them and give them a way to contribute for the well-being of their families— as well as the development of their communities.
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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