USAID
The United States has a long history of extending a helping hand to those people overseas struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country. It is this caring that stands as a hallmark of the United States around the world — and shows the world our true character as a nation.
U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America’s foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Spending less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID works around the world to achieve these goals.
USAID’s history goes back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction of Europe after World War Two and the Truman Administration’s Point Four Program. In 1961, the Foreign Assistance Act was signed into law and USAID was created by executive order.
Since that time, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.
USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Our Work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting:
The United States of America through USAID supports Ghana’s Poverty Reduction Strategy by strengthening decentralized governance systems, increasing food security, promoting private sector competitiveness, improving health care delivery, and enhancing access to and completion of quality basic education, to benefit all Ghanaians. In 2008, funding levels jumped from approximately $70 million to $147 million in 2009 and $138 million in 2010, primarily due to additional resources related to initiatives to increase food security and prevent and control malaria and HIV/AIDS.
ACDI/VOCA
Who we are
A non-profit that means business. We encourage broad-based economic growth, raise living standards and foster vibrant communities.
Our Vision
A world in which people are empowered to succeed in a global economy.
What we do
We draw on our grassroots experience, collective knowledge and the guidance of our donors and beneficiaries to design sustainable solutions to the most pressing development problems. Our activities span the development continuum, from meeting basic needs to community stabilization, poverty alleviation, access to financial services and market integration. We have experience in 145 nations.
ACDI/VOCA’s signature approach does not rely on short-term interventions or supply-driven technology transfer directed at single problems in isolation. Rather, we look at problems holistically and tap all our resources to provide lasting results.
We integrate the skills of tools of our five practice areas to address poverty, food insecurity, lack of credit, dysfunctional market systems and other problems that stymie economic growth and limit opportunities. We have hard-won success in fostering stability in conflict-affected and transitional states. We strive to ensure that the voices of women, youth, indigenous populations and other marginalized groups are heard and their needs addressed.
ACDI/VOCA receives funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Millenium Challenge Corporation, the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, private sector firms, ACDI/VOCA member cooperatives and farm credit banks, individuals and other entities.