IESC volunteer expert Melody Myer writes on her blog about her decision to volunteer for IESC and shares her experience in Tunisia.

Read Why Volunteer’ Why Go to Tunisia’

Read Tunisian Chronicles

Keffa Bua Eloi fled the Ivory Coast several years ago to escape from civil war and instability. As an Ivorian refugee in Liberia he had to find means to support himself. Mr. Eloi wanted to buy his own enterprise to the process Attieke, fermented cassava pulp, but did not know how to obtain the necessary financing.

IESC provided Mr. Eloi with technical assistance and training through the USAID-funded Liberia Investing in Business Expansion…

With access to capital, a Lebanese farmer watches his business grow

Badr is a 48-year-old father of six, is a Lebanese farmer who has grown and marketed organic vegetables in Akkar, North Lebanon for the past 25 years.

Due to political instability and recent bad weather conditions, it was becoming more difficult for Badr to sustain and grow his operations. Additionally, Badr was having increasing difficulty to channeling and distributing…

With support, entrepreneurial woman creates a thriving bakery

Daniela is a 38 year old mother of three from Martmoura, Lebanon. For her, her family, and many residents of this northern Lebanese village, agriculture is a central part of daily life and Martmoura has become a hub of agricultural trade. Every year the village is host to a number of events and in 2005, Daniela began making baked goods from her home to sell on these occasions….

IESC is reaching out to remote and conflict-affected regions of Liberia through local radio stations to promote business growth through improved access to finance.

The USAID-funded Liberia Investing for Business Expansion (IBEX) Program, implemented by IESC under the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), is working to improve Liberia’s lending environment for agriculture and renewable energy through improved risk management and…

Thousands Attend International Agricultural Fair Connecting Afghan Farmers to Markets and Technology
USDA’s Capacity Building and Change Management Program, implemented by IESC under the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), helped Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) organize an agriculture fair and commemorate the ancient Afghan tradition of farmers celebrating ‘Nawroz,’ the onset of Spring.

The…