water stations
0
textbooks printed
0
million
school meals served
0
million
2022
Annual Report
In partnership for results that last
From the
President & CEO
In a world where threats to democracy and fundamental freedoms undermine essential human rights, Counterpart’s mission to support local communities in building inclusive, sustainable, and transparent societies is more important than ever. As people around the world flee war, suffer from hunger, and find themselves struggling to survive in fragile and unpredictable environments, Counterpart is on the ground to offer hope and assist in creating citizen-led, transformational change.
In 2022, we helped the women who fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion find peer support and resources to ease the burdens they face. Some participants in the program went on to become facilitators, ready to serve the next woman in need. If you are interested in contributing to this work you can do so via our website.
Our food security work deepened in Mauritania while we continued to provide food, medicine, and infrastructure to school children in Mozambique and boost agricultural production in Guatemala.
Our marine ecosystems management work in Hispaniola educated farmers and fisherman on sustainable practices while increasing their yields and profits in a changing climate.
Simultaneously, the Frohring-funded Coastal Climate Resiliency program introduced an entire new generation of students to the wonders of their environment. Graduates of this program now work in the country serving as stewards of their environment and role models to others. On my visit to the Dominican Republic, I had the privilege of meeting Daniel, one of the graduates, who is now breeding clown fish in efforts to preserve fragile ecosystems.
These are just a few examples of the stories you will find in this report that exemplify Counterpart’s efforts around the globe, work that is grounded in the trust we develop with our partners and supported by an incredibly talented and diverse staff that is reflective of the people we serve.
One of the hallmarks of our work is how we foster unlikely partnerships for change. Counterpart constantly asks the question, “Who else needs to be at the table?” as decisions are made in communities. We work to lift these voices into the public domain, especially and including women. Our commitment to inclusion stems from our origins when we were founded by a priest and a movie star, a very unlikely partnership indeed.
I am proud to report that Counterpart continues to be a healthy, growing organization with an outsized impact and I am honored to share this work with you.
Guatemala has the largest and fastest-growing economy in Central America, but this masks the extreme poverty and malnutrition that plagues rural and indigenous communities.
Because agriculture is the backbone of the rural economy, Counterpart’s USDA-funded Food for Progress program (PROCAMPO) has focused on supporting the rebirth of the country’s National Rural Extension System to support rural farmers, the only such program in the country.
In addition to restoring a measure of trust in the national government by long-neglected communities, PROCAMPO supported the development of rural learning centers, training for 326 Ministry of Agriculture agents, and granted associations and cooperatives almost $3 million in funding. Along with other partners, we also supported local financial institutions to provide $41.5 million in loans to 7,765 farmers.
Since its inception, the program has trained more than 35,890 farmers, increasing yields by 30% and creating 2,776 new jobs. Over 47,318 individuals have benefited directly from PROCAMPO intervention. The USDA has recognized Counterpart’s success with this program and extended the funding for two additional years to continue to expand and strengthen the project’s impact.
in loans granted
$
0
million
new jobs
0
individuals benefitted
0
+
Counterpart...has provided us a greenhouse for tomato production, and now the quality and the quantity of tomatoes have improved and enabled us to sell our produce at a much better price.
Through The Future is Ours!, Counterpart continues to work with targeted schools, parents’ associations, community members, NGOs, and government agencies to assist the government of Mauritania to reduce hunger, improve health, and strengthen the primary education system.
The Future is Ours! distributed almost 13 million school meals to 71,474 students in 209 schools in Brakna and Gorgol regions last year. And because school meals are such a powerful tool to improve school enrollment, Counterpart registered a 5% increase in attendance last year. The program upgraded the school facilities through building 58 water stations and four latrines to improve cooking conditions and hygiene practices.
Counterpart and its local partners also twice distributed important medications to 60,108 students in the 209 schools through deworming campaigns to prevent and treat infections caused by parasites. The project technical working group designed student textbooks and teacher guides in Arabic and French for second and third grade that the Ministry of Education approved for use in the McGovern-Dole project schools.
The Ministry recognized the success of the pilot textbook program and decided to expand it nationally. The Ministry has printed 3 million textbooks and teacher guides and distributed them to the 3,400 primary schools of the country. This example of sustainability and transfer of ownership to local governments and civil society is a hallmark of our work.
The Future is Ours! also trained over 200 individuals in education administration and assessments, 56 teachers in curriculum development, and 208 cooks in safe food preparation and storage.
We appreciate Counterpart because you are working in silence with impactful results.
Counterpart works in partnership with the government of Mozambique to expand bilingual education and build the foundation for a sustainable school feeding program. Our Bright Future! project is a five-year program funded through USDA McGovern-Dole Food for Education. Last year, this community centered program fed over 70,000 children across 244 participating schools.
Due to local infrastructure challenges, enlisting local stakeholders was critical to the program’s success. Students, parents, teachers, and the broader community came together to help store commodities and cook the food for students. Over 1,700 volunteer cooks prepared daily meals, which in turn helped to increase school attendance and improve overall learning conditions.
In addition, 43 school gardens were created and inputs such as seeds and gardening equipment were provided to help diversify and supplement the current school feeding program.
The socialization of ideas about nutrition and growing nutrient-dense food complement the already nutrient fortified commodities for school feeding. This aims to improve local diets at scale as students take their knowledge back to their homes and families.
The added incentive of take-home rations for students who have the highest dropout rates in primary education has also helped attendance. This program offers 3 kilos of fortified rice to over 3,000 students who attended at least 90% of their classes monthly.
All these accomplishments are complemented by developing local capacity and establishing a national school feeding strategy with other local and international partners that has been codified into law.
children fed
0
+
school gardens
0
volunteer cooks
0
+
The Counterpart team in Senegal had a very busy 2022 with the startup of Sukaabe Janngo II in the southern part of the country while continuing to implement Sukaabe Janngo I in the northern region of St. Louis. Both projects, funded by the USDA, are holistic school feeding programs with activities to address nutrition, health, WASH, agriculture, infrastructure, and student academic performance.
In St. Louis, while serving 8,554,174 meals and supporting 53,192 children in 270 preschools and elementary schools, we trained and supported over 6,000 adults in a variety of skills linked to the project. Our approach produced sustainable results, rooted in local systems that will continue after the project has ended.
The communities where our schools are based are invested in the program and contributed over 61 metric tons of food and $270,000 in cash. This is a significant amount in a country where the average Senegalese makes less than $300 a month, and even less in the rural areas where the project is implemented. Through corporate social responsibility, the Bank of Africa Foundation supported school feeding with a donation of $10,000.
meals served
0
million
adults trained
0
+
schools reached
0
We noticed that the children were not coming to school because of challenging conditions. There were no proper classrooms nor latrines. Now, we operate the canteen everyday thanks to the resources mobilized from community members. This is why the school still exists!
Social upheaval, political sensitivities, and a narrowing space for civil society in Bangladesh pose challenges for local organizations advocating for human rights. The Promoting Advocacy and Rights (PAR) activity aims to create an environment that can sustain civil society institutions to advance democratic governance and citizen participation.
Counterpart is providing grants for local organizations to undertake activities which increase community awareness about civic rights and responsibilities, strengthen community mobilization efforts to include historically marginalized populations, and establish openings for public sector engagement. In 2022, PAR supported five local organizations focused on addressing environmental pollution, unplanned urbanization, and advancing the rights of marginalized populations.
PAR’s local partners successfully informed local policy development to be transparent and accountable – reflective of citizen-identified priorities. Local partners have made significant contributions to the development of policy changes such as the Solid Waste Management Rules 2021, Environmental Conservation Rules 2023, and Drug Treatment Rules 2021 – consistent with dozens of citizen-led recommendations.
Furthermore, we brought the government together with citizens through events and engaged over 100 local and national media outlets to report on the conditions faced by residents to spur government action.
PAR’s civil society partners have developed effective service delivery monitoring frameworks in coordination with local government officials. Together, we developed a monitoring framework for Khulna City Corporation to track citizen needs and government responses. The Khulna City mayor supported expanding the framework, set up two model wards, and looks to take the program city-wide. This framework centers on the local community, a hallmark of our work.
PAR has also supported the development of multistakeholder engagement mechanisms credited for increasing civic participation. For example, sub-awardee, the Shushilan Consortium, established a multistakeholder working committee with representation from Khulna City Corporation, Khulna Development Authority, Department of Public Health and Engineering, Khulna Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, media, civil society organizations, and community residents led by the Khulna City mayor. This multistakeholders’ working mechanism is a notable achievement and is considered a unique example in the eyes of all relevant stakeholders, contributing to making the government accountable to the citizen.
PAR conducted dozens of advocacy events on the issues of social inclusion, unplanned urbanization, and environmental pollution, reaching over 18,000 participants. We partnered with local organizations to establish five working groups at the sub-national level which afforded youth unique opportunities to foster social cohesion and engage in civic activities. Youth participated in advocacy training and worked with public officials to address their communities’ priorities.
This project also conducted 25 capacity building and advocacy events for civil society organizations covering relevant laws, digital hygiene, organizational capacity building, and financial management. We are also assessing the country’s civic space before the December 2023/January 2024 elections.
media engaged
0
+
citizens reached
0
+
capacity building events
0
We have never seen this multistakeholders’ unity/coordination mechanism ever, which was possible by Shushilan consortium under this project. We thank you…for your support to make us coordinated to respond to citizen needs.
More than 15 years after the end of its deeply divisive and traumatic civil war, Burundi still faces challenges establishing long-term peace, security, and economic stability. Youth under the age of 25, who make up approximately two-thirds of the population, are particularly susceptible to getting caught up in conflict and violence due to unemployment, political rivalry, and ethnic divisions that persist as they try to navigate their early adult lives in the post-war society.
Counterpart implements Turi Kumwe (“We Are Together”), a USAID-funded project that increases Burundian youth engagement in peacebuilding and violence prevention activities and enhances youth access to finance and economic opportunities.
In 2022, the project supported 1,733 youth (aged 18-35) in 64 village savings and loans associations to develop livelihoods through training in entrepreneurship, mentoring, and facilitating access to microcredit. $15,000 in loans were received collectively by 128 youth. We also organized 12 business plan competitions to fund the most innovative enterprises. Overall, these efforts resulted in increased and diversified incomes for participants.
Six community multistakeholder dialogues, six inter-generational dialogues and six inter-communal exchanges gave the opportunity to over 400 youth to discuss conflicts in their community and share with their peers and elders best practices, contributing to increased understanding, empathy, and trust across social, political, and ethnic divisions. Turi Kumwe contributed to peace dynamics in its area of intervention and helped youth develop positive networks and a sense of purpose.
village savings and loans associations
0
in loans granted
$
0
youth engaged
0
+
Joining the Turi Kumwe project was the key to regaining hope for my life. Before I was unemployed, abused by my in-laws and separated from my husband. With the skills gained in the entrepreneurship training, I decided to start a business selling watermelon pieces. The association gave me a $14 loan to start.
I have grown my business and a year later, I have upgraded to wholesale of watermelons with a capital of $239. I also bought livestock and little by little I am becoming a respected modern livestock farmer back in my community in Kayanza.
Counterpart’s work in the Dominican Republic began almost 20 years ago and has evolved in partnership with our local partners and the community. Currently, through the Coastal Climate Resiliency Program (CCRP), the overarching goal is to reduce local pressures on coastal marine ecosystems while minimizing cultural and economic disruptions to the communities that depend on those ecosystems. CCRP also serves as the platform for the implementation of the Dominican Environmental Education Program (DEEP).
Four DEEP schools conducted data collection trips with over 300 students and 10 teachers traveling to various ecosystems on the island for research. The program secured expert technical support from, and established new partnerships with, the Natural History Museum and the Ministry of the Environment.
This work, funded by the Frohring Foundation, gives future leaders a personal stake in both their environment and the work needed to maintain it. We are proud to report that three DEEP alumni have graduated with degrees in biotechnology and environmental engineering.
Working with local partner AgroFrontera, we also reached marginalized communities with training on environmental conservation, supported three graduate students studying agronomy to work with rice farmers to minimize their CO2 footprint, and trained 134 students on water and hygiene protocols.
With our partner Fundemar, Counterpart trained university students to become near-peer mentors for youth in the DEEP program. Two students were awarded scholarships to study biology at Universidad Autónoma de Santa Domingo and 35 students and five teachers were introduced to the “Mi Mar Maravilloso” curriculum.
Another local partner, the Punta Cana Foundation, helped students broaden their science-based education opportunities by sponsoring youth to tour six schools and universities. We also enabled over 100 students to visit the group’s environmental education classroom, recently updated with interactive learning materials. The Punta Cana Foundation also hired an intern that was previously supported by Counterpart, an example of our work creating enduring opportunities for participants.
We concluded Counterpart’s USAID-funded Integrated Marine Ecosystems Management (IMEM) program in 2022. The three-year initiative worked on the northern coast of Hispaniola to improve governance of marine protected areas and support fishers and farmers in alternative livelihood work.
As with all of Counterpart’s work, local stakeholders worked together to implement solutions to overfishing and implement methods to make the island’s rice farming practices more sustainable.
We invite you to watch this video encapsulating our work under the IMEM program:
students doing research
0
+
near-peer mentors trained
0
interns hired
0
Over the previous year, the government of Ecuador continued to focus on recovering national and international credibility, as well as generating a framework that facilitates social, economic, and financial transformations. However, the country faces challenges achieving these ambitions considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continued high rates of unemployment, citizen security issues, and the country’s prison crisis.
In this context, the government has developed a national plan that seeks to create opportunities for Ecuadorians with a focus on five pillars: economic, social, integral security, ecological transition, and institutional change. Counterpart’s New Partnerships for Open Government Program, a USAID-funded initiative, supports these efforts and seeks to advance transparency and accountability in governance by the implementation of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative in the country.
Since 2022, the program worked directly with the president’s Open Government Office and representatives from civil society, academia, and the private sector to create viable and timely solutions to the country’s challenges. These solutions—incorporated into Ecuador’s second Open Government National Action Plan—include generating transparency, open state strategies and actions, governance models, open data systems, and participatory processes to improve budgeting, the justice system, digital transformation and accountability mechanisms.
Our activities elevated the voices of disadvantaged groups including women, youth, peasant and indigenous communities, and the LGBTQI population and shape our current work which focuses on implementing these commitments and promoting transparency and open government at the local level. The co-creation process included 1,260 people (559 women, 692 men, and nine LGBTQI), with the majority (638 people) between 31 and 50 years old. The process also included 304 young people between 20 and 30 years old. 44% of the participants come from the public sector, 34% from civil society, 15% from academia, and 7% from the private sector.
At the conclusion of the co-creation process, participants had developed 328 proposals framed within the five axes of Ecuador’s National Development Plan. These proposals focused on the specific locality and issue to be solved. They included an analysis of the problem, the stakeholders responsible for implementing the commitment, and steps to make proposals feasible. The best 15 proposals are now part of the Second Open Government Plan in the country.
marginalized people reached
0
proposals created
0
+
proposals adopted
0
Rights and Dignity
The Rights and Dignity project is an eight-year, USAID-funded initiative to strengthen human rights protection systems in El Salvador. Over the course of 2022, Counterpart worked in close collaboration with Partners El Salvador and a new partner, ConTextos, to implement the program and its educational activities.
The project supported five research studies, four in coordination with the National Observatory of Human Rights, to raise awareness on topics related to human rights violations and vulnerable populations. These efforts reached almost 5,000 people.
The project also signed an agreement of cooperation with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights that establishes a collaboration framework to train human rights leaders in El Salvador and promote the Inter-American human rights system and its standards regulations. These institutional partnerships are key to our work.
A total of 122 officers (97 women, 25 men) of the Public Defender’s Office and Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office improved their capacity to respond to citizen reports of human rights violations and provide quality services to vulnerable populations.
The project also held educational seminars in which 1,100 public school teachers learned to bring a human rights and inclusion perspective to their work, including interactive teaching methodologies. Two hundred youth also participated in a national awareness campaign called “Film Week: Human Rights and Youth” where the featured films focused on issues like forced displacement, police abuse, and discrimination.
Working to Strengthen Diversity
The work being implemented in El Salvador directly responds to the need to strengthen the Salvadoran Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) movement’s ability to more effectively and collectively express, communicate, and defend the common human rights interests of the Salvadoran LGBTQI+ population. In FY2022, the project engaged and strengthened the capacities of lesbians, queer women, and LGBTQI+ emerging leaders and groups currently underrepresented in the movement, as well as began an organizational capacity strengthening process with the Salvadoran LGBTI Federation.
Following a power mapping initiative in late 2021 to assess the current state of affairs for the LGBTQI+ community, the project discovered that most formal organizations are based in San Salvador, but many informal local groups outside of the city also do innovative work with few resources. The survey also discovered that most organizations view the current movement as “fragmented” and have requested our guidance for improvement, including working with underrepresented transgender men and lesbians.
In response to these findings, the project implemented a number of activities aimed at strengthening the LGBTQI+ movement and emerging and/or underrepresented leaders and actors. We launched the LGBTQI+ Collaborative Advocacy Space and co-created its structure, governance and objectives with 16 organizations. These groups developed a Joint Advocacy Plan that the project will support.
The project also implemented a rapid response advocacy fund that, by the end of the year, supported four partner organizations’ initiatives. This allowed underrepresented groups (lesbian and bisexual women and trans men) and collectives from rural parts of the country to participate in the Pride March, which had an impressive, never-before-seen 22,000 participants.
The project co-implemented lesbo-feminist queer citizen participation schools with the Center for the Study of Sexual and Gender Diversity Association (AMATE El Salvador) and the Association of Women for Dignity and Life (Las Dignas). As a result, 26 members of the LGBTIQ+ population reinforced their capacity to demand their rights based on conceptual and methodological tools provided in the schools.
We also provided organizational capacity development to the Salvadoran LGBTI Federation, which involved a self-assessment using Counterpart’s comprehensive and participatory methodology. Based on the results, the project facilitated a process to develop an action plan and launch a request to implement the plan through sub-grant funding. Seven member organizations participated in this process, resulting in a clarity of purpose and strategic vision for the Federation and plans to strengthen sustainable advocacy.
officers trained
0
teachers reached
0
pride march participants
0
With the development of the Lesbo-Feminist Queer School, many people, including mothers of transgender individuals, sought us out to educate themselves on how to understand their son/daughter's process of change, and how to support it.
Kagalo
Two of the poorest countries in the world, Niger and Burkina Faso, have burgeoning democratic institutions that face a range of challenges that threaten recent progress, but their citizens remain committed to democratic governance. Counterpart facilitates three programs in the country to support their efforts.
Our Empowered Women for Change (Kagalo) project seeks to strengthen the fragile state of democracy in Niger and Burkina Faso through increasing women’s roles in the democratic process. In alignment with the United States Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security, Counterpart recognizes the differential impact of conflict on women and girls, along with the potential for women to positively influence peacebuilding opportunities and governance.
In this effort, we collaborated with the Nigerien and Burkinabè Ministries of Women to hold numerous workshops in the region to organize women and governments in support of a National Action Plan. We invited stakeholders in civil society, the private sector, nomadic communities, religious and traditional leaders, as well as local elected officials and the military and security forces to take ownership of the plan and become advocates for its implementation.
We also trained 30 National Assembly members on gender and child-sensitive legislation and budgeting alongside local government and NGO facilitators, ensuring that women and children’s needs are considered in all future legislation.
Counterpart also empowered 27 woman elected officials with training on how to organize dialogue and discuss community priorities in their work. We oriented these leaders on Niger’s administrative divisions, local policy, and existing frameworks for development. They learned strategies to integrate the priorities of vulnerable constituents like women and youth into public policy development and were encouraged to participate in the communal council’s decision-making process.
We also trained women in Niger and Burkina Faso on leadership and how to develop effective advocacy campaigns, including how to fund their initiatives. With these tools, women have organized others in their commune to improve living conditions and influence policy.
Nallewaro
Our second program in Niger is called Nallewaro or “For Peace.” In that spirit, Nallewaro works to improve trust and strengthen communication between the local population and defense and security forces. Enabling these relationships increases social cohesion and combats the spread of violent extremism through enhanced collaboration.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the project operated in five communes and sponsors several activities, including the creation of the Nallewaro networks. These networks include approximately 15 representatives of local government stakeholders, traditional leaders, as well as youth, women, and religious leaders. Through the Nallewaro networks, communities engage in regular dialogue with government officials, enabling community policing to emerge.
The project supported the creation of five Nallewaro Women’s Networks to promote more effective discussions between women community members, leaders, and law enforcement officials. They meet monthly to discuss community insecurity, peacebuilding, and collaboration in the face of violent extremism in Diffa.
Nallewaro also facilitated dialogue between different stakeholders concerned with security and held preparatory meetings where participants listed the factors contributing to the insecurity in their communes and made recommendations for discussion and inclusion in community plans. Fourteen local organizations received small grants to implement community-based initiatives to highlight the importance of community policing.
The project worked with local leaders and Nallewaro networks to develop Everyday Peace Indicators to collect data on citizens’ perceptions of security and to track changing concerns about peace, security, and trust among community members. The indicators allow Nallewaro networks and communities to better understand how they are achieving their goals and to adapt to changing security contexts.
Jagoranci
Counterpart’s Jagoranci program started its second year of implementation in 2022. Last year, the USAID-funded project was marked by securing buy-in and ownership of key interventions and approaches by key local and national stakeholders. We also responded flexibly to demands for support from partner and non-partner communes and institutions.
Jagoranci collaborated with the Ministry of Interior and Decentralization and the Center for Management Training of Territorial Collectivities to roll out training on roles and responsibilities of newly elected officials in all 19 partner communes. We also supported the Kollo Commune in organizing a multistakeholder dialogue on land and domanial security which resulted in an action plan and security improvements. In addition, we supported the Association of Nigerien Municipalities to set up their network for women local elected officials in Maradi, Zinder, and Tillabéri.
Jagoranci also put in place the core participatory and civic engagement structures that are critical to successful locally led implementation. The project enhanced the understanding of key local development actors of their roles and responsibilities and promoted more effective collaboration, as well as held forums for 19 supported partner communes in initiating open and participatory processes to evaluate, monitor, and enhance their performance.
Notable achievements of the last year include the training of 187 local actors, including youth and female representatives, to better understand their roles in the national decentralization framework. Local partner Fondation Hirondelle broadcasted via 52 partner radio stations 35 messages developed by our team throughout the country.
We organized five decentralization forums for all 19 communes to enhance the government’s understanding of local policies and regulations, their responsibilities and authorities for local governance, and duties to manage and encourage collaboration. The team implemented assessment tools in seven communes, leading to the development of their communal Capacity Improvement Plans and strategies to address the issues and challenges they themselves identified.
In addition, the program set up inclusive Citizen Monitoring Committees with diverse membership that included almost 30% women and youth.
local actors trained
0
messages broadcasted on 52 radio stations
0
forums held for 19 communes
0
I would never have thought that hyenas and dogs would find themselves [feasting] on the same corpse without experiencing any arguments or complexes. But here we are today in discussion with those we feared without complacency and without fear of reprisal.
Our USAID/Timor-Leste NGO Advocacy for Good Governance Activity blossomed last year after launching during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. Learning from the adaptations made during year one, the program adopted a policy of localizing capacity building within the program by ensuring that all external technical experts train the team first so they could co-facilitate all workshops. In this way the program ensured that learning and mentoring continue on the ground even after the trainer departs. In addition to supporting sustainability, the NGO partners have been inspired by the model of local leadership provided by the program, which has given them added pride in their work.
Last year began with an ambitious training for the NGOs on quantitative research methods leading to their designing, executing, and presenting their own primary research to provide evidence to support their advocacy projects. The completion of the research projects culminated in a launch attended by key policymakers from Parliament, representatives from line ministries and local government, along with development partners. This event raised the credibility of the NGOs and created unparalleled opportunities for the organizations to directly engage with lawmakers. As a result of their research, the NGOs were invited to present to Parliament and Ministerial working groups and were offered positions in technical review committees involved in revising laws and policies.
In addition to training in research and advocacy, we supported the NGOs to diversify their sources of income to improve their financial sustainability. Over 2022, we introduced the NGOs to 11 donors from bilateral partners, faith-based charities, service organizations, and private sector actors. Despite the significant global financial constriction and funding scarcity, all our NGOs were able to translate their engagement with new donors and their enhanced organizational capacity into increased financial sustainability in 2022.
The NGO capacity achievements, increased funding, and organizational sustainability, coupled with the continued learning and growth of our team capped 2022 and gave us momentum and optimism for continued success in the coming year.
Our local partners include: Associação Deficiente Timor-Leste (ADTL), Belun, Community-Based Rehabilitation Network Timor-Leste (CBRNTL), Fundação Hafoun Timor Loro Sa’e (FHTL), Timor-Leste NGO Forum (FONGTIL), Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP), Mata Dalan Institute (MDI), Many Hands One Nation (MAHON) and Programa Spesifiku fo Prioridade ba Ema Kiak (PROSPEK).
Thanks to Counterpart, through USAID, that provided capacity building for us as one of the partners.
WomenLead Institute
Counterpart’s WomenLead Institute works to fuel greater representation of women in leadership positions across different sectors in countries around the world. Our flagship program, Global Women in Management, is funded by the ExxonMobil Foundation and strengthens women’s management, leadership, and technical skills to enhance and expand programs that advance women’s opportunities.
Global Women in Management is designed for women leaders and managers from local NGOs, business associations, social enterprises, cooperatives, and community-based organizations to equip them with the skills to start or grow a business, including income-generating skills and access to markets. The program also provides women access to financial and material resources for business development and/or employment opportunities.
In 2022, Counterpart facilitated the Global Women in Management Virtual Training Program in 15 countries as well as held events for continuing education for our ever-growing alumni group. Each session was tailored to meet the participants’ needs. Fifty-one leaders completed the training and 48 women completed mentorship and coaching opportunities.
The WomenLead Institute also provided women Ukrainian refugees the “Women Self-Care and Skill-Building” training in Romania, targeted to address the unique needs they face.
This project aims to equip women with skills, improve their mental health, and assist them in becoming more resilient. Overall, we trained 20 women, some of whom went on to become coaches themselves.
From the
Board Chair
Serving on the Counterpart International Board of Directors continues to be a source of pride for me. In a turbulent world with seemingly insurmountable challenges, I know the work we do around the globe makes a lasting difference in the lives we touch.
As described in our report, you know that we fed 150,000 children each school day last year while improving their hygiene and education, helped farmers sustainably increase their yields, and empowered women, youth, and indigenous communities to advocate for their rights while supporting civil society.
Our mission to partner with local organizations to build communities that thrive proves to be successful year after year. Our local partner metric attests to our approach of working with local organizations to accelerate innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions, generating lasting impact to build the future of their choice. Counterpart stands alongside communities shaping their own destinies. We believe diversity and inclusion are the foundation of sustainable solutions.
None of these life-changing programs would be possible without the diverse and dedicated staff at Counterpart. They lead with empathy and impressive technical skills while working every day to make a difference in peoples’ lives. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I congratulate them all on a job well done and welcome the new team members who joined the team this year as we continue to grow. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the years to come.
Counterpart stands alongside communities shaping their own destinies. Helping people build better lives is a challenge we undertake every day with the support of our partners and donors.
Join us in creating stronger, healthier, and more inclusive communities around the world.
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