Dispatch from the field: Kettles and cameras in Karasu, Kyrgyzstan
Rachel Mather was part of the 2016-2017 cohort of the International Youth Fellowship Program. She was placed with First Micro Credit Company in Osh, Kyrgyz Republic.
Work and Enterprise
The challenge: The issue of economic exclusion is a stark one: The number of unemployed youth globally is estimated at 71 million, with many regions recording a youth unemployment rate twice as high as adults. Many more young adults are underemployed, falling into the category of “working poor.” Over 40 percent of women remain outside of the formal financial system. These exclusions result in hardship at the household level, and slower growth of the global economy.
Our solution: We work on multiple fronts to create opportunities for all to build a more prosperous future. Our programs address a wide spectrum of needs, from community-based savings groups to financial services, and support to women and youth entrepreneurs. We invest in innovative, market-focused initiatives that build the knowledge, skills, and institutional capacities to promote sustainable economic growth in remote or marginalized communities.
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- Agriculture and Food Security
- Civil Society
- Climate Resilience
- COVID-19
- Early Childhood Development
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- Engaging Canadians
- Gender Equality
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- Work and Enterprise
Feeding Her Community
Lal and Samantha live worlds apart, but their lives are more similar than it seems at first glance.
We are there
For vulnerable communities in remote, high mountain valleys across Central Asia, lives are changing.
Dispatch from the field: Supporting dairy farmers in Bangladesh
I’ve been in Bangladesh for more than two months now, working with CARE Bangladesh on their programming to help rural farmers improve their agricultural practices – and incomes.
Dispatch from the field: The rights and responsibilities of microfinance in Tajikistan
The Smart Campaign is a global effort spearheaded by the Center for Financial Inclusion, dedicated to “uniting microfinance leaders around a common goal: to keep clients as the driving force of the industry” – by following principles designed to help microfinance institutions practise good ethics and smart business.
Weaving a Brighter Future: Apendiwe’s story
Apendiwe Momade sits in the shade outside her home in rural Mozambique, next to a billowing pile of dried grass.
Her legs are outstretched on one of her homemade mats, her fingers a blur as she expertly twists the grass into intricate patterns.
Carving out a better life
Several wooden spoons and forks are perched on a table as Fatima puts the finishing touches on another one. Around her, other carpenters are carving signs, measuring material, and smoothing out large pieces of wood for new projects.
These keys unlock five things you take for granted
These are the keys to a lockbox where 12 members of a savings group in Mozambique are investing their earnings. With the return on their investments, they have been able to make basic improvements to their homes, like a freezer, an oven, a table and chairs, bowls and plates, and a roof that doesn’t leak.
Under the canopy of the apricot trees
It sits nestled in the palm of my hand, a shrunken, wrinkled russet sphere that rattles softly when I shake it. I find it in Zeverdashd, a Tajik village wedged between the towering Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It represents a livelihood for 15 women and their families.
