Stories from Africa

In September 2024, the U.S. Embassy’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) council launched its first-ever DEIA internship program, marking a significant step in advancing career and professional development opportunities for university graduates in Malawi.

Communities across Somalia have united to raise over USD 500,000 through the co-funding mechanism (CFM), which was matched by IOM with over USD 2 million, contributing to 40 local development initiatives, and spearheading peacebuilding activities.

The hard-working people of this part of Rwanda live from the land and the lake: farmers and fisherman for the most part, they cultivate beans and other vegetables, and - if they live really close to the lake - they fish sambaza.

USAID/Malawi Mission Director Pamela Fessenden joined the World Food Program and Malawi Government in a food distribution exercise in Chikwawa district, one of the most hard hit districts of the El Nino drought.

In a sleepy village where twin lakes Burera and Ruhondo shape a picturesque landscape, a group of fish farmers struggled to get their business off the ground. "We were working so hard, but it felt like we were running in circles," shares Marie Mukamana, one of the women leaders of the Fish Sellers Union UVEPO.

On this International Day of the Girl Child, USAID celebrates the incredible success stories like that of Joyce Amponsah, a 15-year-old from Zorgowee, Nimba County, Liberia.

On this World Teachers' Day, we proudly celebrate the dedication of Liberian educators like Professors Martha Dossen, J. Tebah Wallace, and Bobson Bleh, whose commitment to shaping the nation’s future through education is unwavering.

After senior high school, Sakina Mahamadu worked as a saleswoman because she did not have the money to pursue a teaching degree. Eventually, she joined the Miracle Valley International School, a low-fee private school in Tamale, Northern Region, as a preschool teacher.

After his mother passed away, Hackman was raised by his father, a secretary to a fishing canoe owner. When his father fell ill and relocated to Shama, Hackman dropped out of school to support them. “I have been ill for more than 10 years and haven’t been able to work or provide for my son,” says Hackman's father.

World Pharmacist Day, celebrated annually on September 25, is a day to recognize and celebrate the important role that pharmacists play in building healthier communities everywhere.

In 2017, single mother Ubah Yussuf and her eight children fled their home in Janale District in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle Region. They were forced out by the impact of severe drought that had hit her community.

Dessy is a transgender woman who resides in the Erongo region. In 2021, when she found out that she was HIV positive, she made the choice to share her HIV status with only a few people she trusted. Dessy made this decision to protect herself from fear of stigma and discrimination.

In the heart of the Far North region of Cameroon, Geneviève found herself navigating the harsh realities of life after being abandoned by her husband during her pregnancy. Like many in her community, she faced significant challenges, including economic hardship, social isolation, and the looming threat of extremist influences.

Oryem is one of the many remarkable women smallholder farmers who demonstrate what can be achieved when given the right platforms and opportunities to influence government decisions that impact them at various levels

In Cameroon, approximately 70% of health services are funded out-of-pocket by patients, creating significant barriers to access, particularly for marginalized communities.

USAID Kijana Nahodha (Young Captain) project gives Edwin and other Tanzania youth a second chance at literacy and their dreams

Nurse Jalia Rwinza plays an essential role in her community, leading the way to health for all in Tanzania

Meet Eji Christopher, CEO of Eji Christopher Tractor Services. His tractor operations are a land preparation enterprise bridging the gap in access to mechanization services for smallholder farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

We turn the spotlight on the unsung local community influencers who have made it their life’s mission to reach their peers and lower the HIV prevalence, especially among young women.

Rogers Sibande (54) is making a comeback from a long-term severe illness that almost robbed him of his own life. He is feeling strong, and he cannot stop talking about his journey - and actively encouraging his community to get tested for HIV.

In the heart of Chilowa village, located in the Katete District of Eastern Province, Zambians are waging a quiet but determined battle against malaria.

Fifteen-year-old Watta Sagno lives with her family in the rural Commune of Daro, in the Prefecture of Macenta in southern Guinea.

The rural commune of Daro is a small town in the prefecture of Macenta in southern Guinea. The main activities of this town are agriculture and livestock.

Many girls around the world are forced into marriage, or a less formal marital union, at a very young age. For Sulfa Wathena, the pressure to marry came at the age of 15.