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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India: Mending Nets June 17, 2005
Oolakottai, India - The scene will remain with me forever.
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China: Funding the College Dream in China May 26, 2005
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From 'Village Girls' to Entrepreneurs May 19, 2005
In Uzbekistan, a woman’s career options are limited. Many work hard labor – if they work at all. The unemployment rate of young people in the Ferghana Valley is thought to exceed 60 percent.
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Breaking the Cycle of Poverty May 12, 2005
After graduating from secondary school, 18-year-old Maftuna found herself like many of her peers in the 4,500-person Galatoy community near Margilan, Uzbekistan: jobless with few prospects for employment.
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China: Working Together to Fight Poverty May 10, 2005
Two hours into Matthew De Galan’s presentation on non-profit fundraising, his audience is surprisingly lively and attentive. “How do you demonstrate value to donors?” one wants to know. “How often should you report back to supporters on your progress?” asks another.
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China: Growing Economies in China May 10, 2005
Behind the headlines about China’s double-digit Gross Domestic Product growth and thriving middle class, there is a more complicated story of entire regions that continue to live in desperate poverty.
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China: Reaching New Heights May 10, 2005
Fuan, a bustling coastal city of three million people, appears to have a lot going for it: plentiful natural resources, an important military base and a major trading partner just across the water.
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Sri Lanka: Lights of Hope May 3, 2005
The big day is finally here.
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Sri Lanka: Putting Fish Back on Bicycles March 24, 2005
The fish are back.
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Sri Lanka: Chasing Away the Spirits March 24, 2005