Has Youth-Inclusive Finance Finally Grown Up? Key Lessons from 15 years Working in Youth Inclusive Finance

By Timothy Nourse, President and CEO, Making Cents International

Read about the fundamentals of youth finance and key successes as well as the remaining gaps that continue to inhibit youth access to important financial products and services.

Threads of Change: The Legacy of Bohdan’s Entrepreneurial Spirit

By The Making Cents UNITY Team

Discover Bohdan's inspiring journey from NGO work to founding Crazy Holka, a thriving sewing business in Ukraine. Learn how USAID's UNITY Activity helped him overcome challenges, expand his enterprise, and empower his community through resilience and innovation.

Key Lessons in Entrepreneurship Support: Insights from INVEST and UNITY Activities

By Lauren Littles, Senior Specialist, Economic Opportunities and Nick Reed-Krase, Director, Project Delivery

Discover how tailored support for diverse enterprises is transforming businesses globally. Learn about innovative approaches used in the USAID INVEST and UNITY activities.

When Progress Harms: Our Role in Combatting Technology-Facilitated Violence

By Muthoni Kamuyu-Ojuolo, Sr. Director for Women’s Empowerment

Explore insights from the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum in Cape Town, where discussions highlighted the impact of technology-facilitated violence. Discover how digital advancements are reshaping society and contributing to increased incidents of violence against women.

Beyond the Buzz(words): Integrating a Trauma-Informed Approach into Development Programming

By Nicola Chehade, Senior Specialist, Mental Health

Working on global development projects as a trained mental health professional has Nicola Chehade grappling with the nuances of what it means to support trauma-informed approaches in non-clinical settings.

Bolstering Resilient Youth Entrepreneurs in Ukraine

By Hillary Proctor, Senior Director, Economic Opportunities

Despite the war, youth entrepreneurs in Ukraine are meeting sustainability challenges head-on thanks to the support from activities such as UNITY.

Meaningful Youth Engagement: A Paradigm Shift in Perceiving Mental Health Approaches

By Nicola Chehade, Senior Specialist, Mental Health

Nicola Chehade addresses the urgent need to prioritize mental health and trauma-informed approaches for youth globally, emphasizing localization, staff capacity building, budget allocation, and integration into project design at the 2024 PYD Symposium in Washington D.C.

Inclusive Lending Products are Vital to Women-Owned SMEs

By Lauren Littles, Senior Specialist, Economic Opportunities

Thanks to USAID INVEST’s work with the private sector to mobilize private capital for development, a new pilot program in St. Lucia is co-creating solutions to drive inclusive growth in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

UNITY’s Support for One Business Feeds the Whole Village

By Inna Lubynets, Team Lead, Making Cents International

In the face of adversity and war, Kateryna, the determined owner of Family Farm in Ukraine, faced rejection from banks and struggled to secure funding for her livestock business. Undeterred, she discovered hope through the Business Support Program under UNITY.