GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
In this section:
USAID Staff Help in Nigeria’s Immunization
Marshall Islands Hospital Aided After Fire
Former USAID Cashier Accused of Theft
Malawi Becomes Threshold Country
USAID Assists Costa Rica Flood Victims
Women’s Loan Program Starts in Ethiopia
Partnership to Protect Water, Environment
USAID to Enhance Rural Incomes in Bolivia
Rice Promotes Trade in Central Asia
Pakistan to Receive Safe Water
Food Rations Follow Nicaragua Crop Loss
Agency Explains How to Get a Job at USAID
USAID Staff Help in Nigeria’s Immunization
ABUJA, Nigeria—In an unprecedented event here,
more than one-third of USAID/Nigeria’s staff participated
in the Sept. 17–20 round of the 2005 National Immunization
Days for polio eradication.
Efforts focused on Kano state, which had previously barred
polio immunization and seen increases in the disease, and
in the federal capital territory, where mission staff provided
nearly all the vaccination quality control monitors.
Local and federal health officials thanked USAID for the
personal leadership and staff volunteers.
Marshall Islands Hospital Aided After Fire
WASHINGTON—USAID is sending $50,000 and two
emergency health kits to Majuro Hospital in the Republic of
the Marshall Islands after a devastating fire. The Sept. 16
blaze destroyed pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and essential
hospital buildings.
Majuro Hospital serves as the central point for health services
for the country’s population of approximately 57,000
residents.
Former USAID Cashier Accused of Theft
WASHINGTON—USAID and the State Department announced
the arrest of a former USAID cashier from Mozambique Sept.
26, following charges the man took more than $200,000 in government
funds.
Muftar Ali was arrested Sept. 16 in Charleston, S.C., where
he had arrived from Mozambique. The arrest followed a joint
investigation by the two agencies’ Offices of Inspector
General.
Ali worked as a cashier first at USAID/Mozambique and later
at the U.S. Embassy in Mozambique.
He is accused of operating a “sophisticated fraud scheme
within the cashiering operations of both locations” that
resulted in the theft of more than $200,000. The thefts occurred
between 2003 and 2005.
When USAID discovered the money missing, it notified the
State Department, which placed Ali on administrative leave
while it, too, investigated whether money had been taken.
In a statement, acting USAID Inspector General Bruce Crandlemire
said the “indictment and arrest serve as notice by this
office that fraud will not be tolerated, and that we will
aggressively pursue and seek to prosecute those who attempt
to commit acts of fraud, regardless of where they may be located
or what nationality they might be.”
Malawi Becomes Threshold Country
On Sept. 29, Malawi became the second “threshold”
country under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Threshold
Program. The southern African country will receive $20.9 million
to fight corruption and improve fiscal management.
The MCA is administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC).MCC’s Threshold Program assists countries on the
“threshold,” meaning that they are committed to
undertaking necessary reforms to meet MCA’s requirements
for funding.
USAID will administer and oversee the plan’s implementation
in Malawi, with help from the departments of Justice and Treasury.
Burkina Faso was the first threshold country. MCC is also
working with Madagascar, Honduras, Cape Verde, Nicaragua,
and Georgia.
USAID Assists Costa Rica Flood Victims
WASHINGTON—USAID provided $50,000 to Costa Rica’s
National Commission for the Prevention of Risks and Attention
to Emergencies to purchase emergency relief supplies, water,
and food for those subjected to severe flooding after torrential
rains that began Sept. 19.
Extensive flooding was reported in the provinces of Alajuela,
Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Puntarenas, and San José,
in the Pacific and Central Valley.
The flooding has killed eight people, damaged more than
400 homes, and forced the evacuation of more than 1,600 people.
The rains also caused landslides and damaged numerous roads,
bridges, sewage systems, aqueducts, dams, schools, and power
grids.
Women’s Loan Program Starts in Ethiopia
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—USAID signed a $10 million
loan guarantee agreement with Dashen Bank to provide short-
and medium-term loans to small and medium entrepreneurs engaged
in manufacturing, services, and agricultural sectors. The
loans will target businesswomen returning from abroad.
Partnership to Protect Water, Environment
WASHINGTON—On Sept. 14, USAID and Coca-Cola
Co. announced the Global Community-Watershed Partnerships
Program, which will support a variety of water-related programs
in developing countries.
In Mali, for example, the program will support community
water supply and sanitation, as well as small-scale agriculture
activities, using recycled wastewater from a local Coca-Cola
bottling plant.
In Bolivia, the upper watershed near a Coca-Cola facility
will be protected through greater community and private sector
involvement.
“At the Coca-Cola Company, we are transforming the
way that we think about water,” said Jeff Seabright,
Coca-Cola’s vice president for water and environment.
“Along with the communities where we operate, we have
a shared interest in protecting water resources and enabling
greater access to water and sanitation.”
USAID to Enhance Rural Incomes in Bolivia
WASHINGTON—USAID is spending another $10.2 million
to promote agriculture and improve the incomes of rural families
in Bolivia’s impoverished valleys and Altiplano regions.
The first phase of the project helped 22,000 families in
the valley region. It is now being expanded, and aims to enhance
production and marketing techniques for crops such as chilies,
peanuts, grapes, peaches, oregano, flowers, onions, and berries.
Rice Promotes Trade in Central Asia
ASTANA, Kazakhstan—On Oct. 13, Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice announced that USAID will provide another
$400,000 to a program improving trade and investment opportunities
in Central Asia.
The initiative will help Central Asian nations to harmonize
and streamline their customs operations, based on international
standards and best practices. It will advance ongoing regional
USAID activities and complement similar work in Afghanistan.
Pakistan to Receive Safe Water
WASHINGTON—USAID and Procter & Gamble (P&G)
are partnering in a $600,000 alliance to provide safe drinking
water for survivors of the deadly Pakistan earthquake. The
partnership will provide PUR, a new water purification product
developed by P&G that is already being used in Ethiopia
and Haiti through another USAID project. Also, more than 20
million sachets of PUR—which was developed in cooperation
with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
has shown to significantly reduce diarrheal illness—has
already been used for emergency relief in 14 countries.
Food Rations Follow Nicaragua Crop Loss
WASHINGTON—USAID is providing $50,000 for transport
costs to deliver emergency food rations, potable water, and
other emergency supplies to the remote Northern Atlantic Autonomous
Region of Nicaragua, which is suffering from food shortage
after heavy rains destroyed local crops.
The U.N.’s World Food Program has reported approximately
12,450 people require food assistance in the Rio Coco area
and the municipality of Wiwili in the department of Jinotega.
Agency Explains How to Get a Job at USAID
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The only way to apply for a job at USAID is on the
internet. Jobs are advertised on USAID’s website
at regular intervals during the year, and prospective
applicants are encouraged to log on frequently.
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It’s late fall, and many graduates are wondering how
to apply for work at USAID. Here is a brief introduction to
the kind of background, education, and job experience the
Agency is looking for as it seeks to fill positions that become
open each year.
USAID recruitment is a year-round process. At the Office
of Human Resources, efforts focus mainly on attracting new
foreign service officers at junior and mid-levels.
On the foreign service (FS) side, recruiters are looking
for candidates with a wide range of master’s degrees,
from international relations to public health. People with
law degrees and doctoral candidates can also apply.
Experience is also considered. For FS candidates, overseas
experience is almost always a must. Working for the Peace
Corps, a nongovernmental organization, international organization,
or for-profit contractor overseas can provide valuable experience.
FS candidates can apply for one or two tracks. For both
programs, USAID advises candidates to expect to be based overseas
for most of their careers.
- New Entry Professional (NEP) Program. Typically,
successful candidates for this mid-level track have five
to seven years’ development experience overseas plus
a master’s degree. NEPs normally spend 12–18 months
in Washington, D.C., before being assigned overseas.
- International Development Intern (IDI) Program.
While previous work experience is not required, most successful
applicants have one to two years’ overseas experience.
Students need to apply while in graduate school or within
a year after completing graduate school. IDIs can expect
to be assigned overseas roughly six months after joining
USAID.
Potential applicants should know that the FS hiring process—from
submitting an application to coming on duty—can take
up to a year. Security clearance, medical clearance, and other
factors can contribute to this length of time.
USAID also hires many civil service employees to work in
Washington, D.C. These openings are advertised on an individual
basis.
The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program is another
entry to the civil service for people with recent master’s
degrees. USAID is the second largest employer of PMFs in the
federal government.
There are also Foreign Service Limited Appointments. These
are five-year appointments and, generally, not career tracks.
USAID uses these to cover hard-to-fill positions.
The only way to apply for a job at USAID is on the internet.
Jobs are advertised on USAID’s website at regular intervals
during the year, and prospective applicants are encouraged
to log on frequently.
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