IRD Voices Blog » The Americas

In Her Own Words: Carmenza Becerra on IRD’s Work to Assist and Empower Colombian Victims of Violence

Feb 15 Posted by IRD HQ

I “stumbled” into the development world over 25 years ago and have worked in Washington DC, Nigeria, Macedonia, Nicaragua, Peru, and Egypt. In 2011 IRD offered me the opportunity to come to Colombia, my birth-country, to work on a program that supports conflict victims. I was thrilled at the opportunity to support my own country. I officially took over as... more

Filed Under: Civil Society, Conflict Mitigation, Capacity Building, Education, Partnerships, Women & Gender, The Americas, Colombia

YouthBuild Develops Communities…and Leaders

Jan 18 Posted by IRD HQ

Two major challenges for Mississippi Gulf Coast communities—which were only exacerbated by Hurricane Katrina—are low academic achievement among youth and a shortage of affordable housing. For young women such as Keesha Jackson, these challenges made it difficult to support herself and her young son, Jalil. To develop her skills and finish her education, Kees... more

Filed Under: Civil Society, Capacity Building, Education, Jobs, Women & Gender, Youth, The Americas, U.S. Gulf Coast

Remembering Haiti Three Years Later

Jan 12 Posted by IRD HQ

On January 12 three years ago, a catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. An estimated 3 million people were affected. An estimated 316,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1 million were made homeless. IRD activated its team of first responders and began distributing basic humanitarian aid: water, food, sanitation, medicin... more

Filed Under: Building Infrastructure, Emergency Response, Health & Hygiene, Relief to Development, Water, Women & Gender, The Americas, Haiti

The Incalculable Value of a Soccer Ball

Dec 5 Posted by IRD HQ

IRD and its partner, Gleaning for the World, distributed hundreds of soccer balls and other in-kind products to Haitian communities, Bateyes, November 10–12, 2012. The distribution was made possible through generous donations from John Weiland. The distribution began in the Bateyes, some of the poorest areas in La Romana, Dominican Republic. (The donation was... more

Filed Under: Youth, The Americas, Haiti

IRD Response in the Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Nov 7 Posted by IRD HQ

Our thoughts and prayers are with survivors of Hurricane Sandy. Having responded to disasters across the world, IRD knows how difficult it is to deliver relief to people in need. We also know how much harder it is to be in need of relief. IRD, as a member organization of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, is supporting our partner organizati... more

Filed Under: Emergency Response, Relief to Development, The Americas