On his first trip to Africa as Secretary of State, Secretary Mike Pompeo announced a new partnership earlier this week between American company, Weldy Lamont and Senegal’s national electric company — stating that the partnership will build on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)’s $550 million Senegal Power Compact to “provide energy to rural areas … generating electricity throughout the country.”

By addressing the growing need for water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Kenya, the KIWASH project has not only improved water security in rural communities, it has led to even greater opportunities across the country. The support of USAID and DAI has given local business owners the means to provide more reliable water services to their communities. As a result, communities can worry less about water-related diseases and focus more on their education and livelihoods, allowing for a better quality of life for all.

Through a partnership with the International Rescue Committee and with support from the Lego Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, the experts at Sesame Workshop have debuted Ahlan Simsim, or “Welcome Sesame;” a new television show created for refugee children in the Middle East and North Africa. To the IRC and Sesame Workshop, Ahlan Simsim isn’t just a show – it’s a vital piece of humanitarian assistance.

If the world learned anything from the SARS epidemic, it is that in order to counter a viral disease, a coordination of the world’s finest medical institutions and brightest minds is quintessential. As the number of confirmed cases climbs with each passing day, the WHO must act swiftly and declare the Wuhan Coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. While multiple U.S. officials have vowed to support Chinese efforts to combat the epidemic, and are monitoring the situation closely, the U.S. government must also consider backing up its words by funding programs dedicated to fighting global epidemics.

With the unveiling of a new logo, the National Basketball Association (NBA) made its new Basketball Africa League (BAL) official— fulfilling its commitment to launch its first league outside of the United States. But while this is the organization’s first league in Africa, the NBA is not new to the continent— particularly when it comes to engaging with African youth and investing in infrastructure and civil society across the continent.

As the candidates and voters gather for tonight’s seventh Democratic presidential debate, a new poll has put foreign policy in a dead heat with health care as the most important issue for Iowa caucusgoers. The most recent Des Moines Register poll – which many consider to be the gold-standard for Iowa – asked likely Democratic caucusgoers how important certain issues were when deciding which candidate to support. The survey found that more than 9 in 10 voters ranked foreign policy as “extremely important” or “important” – exactly on par with health care, an issue that has been central on the Democratic campaign trail.

Agriculture is inherently local, rooted row-by-row in the soil farmers till, tend, and harvest. But the impacts of agriculture are truly global. We know this is true in farming states like Minnesota, where Cargill has been headquartered for more than a century… [W]e are proud to partner with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) as their Heartland Chair. In conversations across 13 Midwest states, we are joining the USGLC and community leaders to discuss how food produced here in the Heartland impacts those far beyond our borders. Those same discussions are amplifying the value and purpose of global leadership.

In an attempt to measure a country’s progress in a more holistic way beyond income, the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP)’s latest Human Development Report also examines life expectancy, education, and personal freedoms, paying close attention to trends, policies, and issues that emerge year after year. While there have been significant gains in human development since the report launched in 1990, the latest report reveals some startling inequalities taking shape in the 21^st century.

COP25 – the United Nations Climate Change Conference – ended with a compromise deal last month, with UN Secretary General António Guterres noting that he was “disappointed” that world leaders were unable to come to an agreement that effectively addresses today’s many climate-driven challenges, from rising sea levels to extreme weather. These challenges are already a stark reality for many – especially in the developing world.

Did you know that the vanilla we use in everything from ice cream to beauty products to baked goods, particularly during the holiday season, is mainly produced in just a few developing countries?  The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping farmers to build a sustainable vanilla industry while benefiting U.S. businesses and consumers alike.