USAID has made localization its mantra. But for one local farming organization in Haiti, it is not working as hoped and the strategy has become an arduous experience with little improvement to food security.
Over the last two years, Organisation Peuple Œcuménique pour le Developpment du Nord-Est, or OPODNE, which responds to development concerns in northern Haiti, claims it has repeatedly reached a dead end with the U.S. Agency for International Development even as the agency seeks to prioritize working with local organizations.
OPODNE had discussed collaboration with USAID, hoping to design programs for agricultural communities, but instead, the Haitian agency watched as tens of millions of dollars went to large international NGOs.
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About the author
Teresa Welshtmawelsh
Teresa Welsh is a Senior Reporter at Devex. She has reported from more than 10 countries and is currently based in Washington, D.C. Her coverage focuses on Latin America; U.S. foreign assistance policy; fragile states; food systems and nutrition; and refugees and migration. Prior to joining Devex, Teresa worked at McClatchy's Washington Bureau and covered foreign affairs for U.S. News and World Report. She was a reporter in Colombia, where she previously lived teaching English. Teresa earned bachelor of arts degrees in journalism and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin.
