The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) works to build a stable and economically viable Haiti. U.S. assistance focuses on long-term reconstruction and development, promoting economic growth, job creation, and agricultural development, providing basic health care and education services, and improving the effectiveness of government. Economic and food security are key areas of focus, with 50 percent of the labor force relying on agriculture as a primary source of income, yet agriculture contributing less than 25 percent of GDP.
To boost agricultural output and increase farmers’ income, USAID, through the Feed the Future Initiative, focuses on increasing agricultural productivity, improving watershed protection, and strengthening agricultural markets. To accomplish its goal, USAID introduced better inputs, new technologies, integrated natural resource management, and linking farmers directly to end-buyers. With USAID support, farmers doubled and quadrupled yields in targeted key crops. In partnership with the Haitian Government, USAID is also implementing a nutrition-focused safety net program to combat food insecurity amongst the poorest communes.
The program, Kore Lavi, prevents malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children under five by using a national system of food vouchers for locally-grown food, and by training communities on maternal and child nutrition. Outside of agriculture, USAID supports the creation of formal sector employment in agribusiness, apparel, and construction by providing worker’s training and business development services to small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as enabling local financial institutions to increase lending to micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Haiti’s economic and social indicators are a reflection of the country’s development challenges. According to the UNDP’s Human Development Index 2014, Haiti ranks 163 out of 188 countries. The country also ranks 181 out of 190 on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index 2017 and 158 out of 168 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2015. In terms of education, a 2014 Early Grade Reading Assessment revealed that roughly 75 percent of children at the end of first grade, and nearly half of students finishing second grade, could not read.
USAID supports the foundations of learning through a comprehensive early grade reading program, which trains teachers in modern methods, develops new materials in Creole and French, and improves learning outcomes for students. In the area of health, USAID works to improve access to basic health services, prevent HIV, tuberculosis, reduce maternal mortality rates, and raise child survival rates. The Agency is also focused on expanding the Government of Haiti’s capacity to regulate, operate, and finance the health system and deliver essential healthcare services.