Dr. Rajiv Shah, newly appointed chief of the U.S. Agency for International Development, has hit the ground running.
The 36-year-old medical doctor called the aid agency a crucial platform to reach out to the rest of the world and “in the process, to advance US foreign policy to enhance our own prosperity and security.”
USAID “has helped to reduce poverty for millions of people and helped countries put themselves on the path to sustainable economic growth,” said Shah, as quoted by Voice of America.
“Each of us has our own story to tell about the passion that brought us here. But each story speaks to a common belief: no matter how complex or daunting a challenge may seem, success is possible,” he added. “It is a belief founded not on idealism alone, but on our country’s heritage of turning crisis into progress.”
Shah was appointed on the heels of the Obama administration’s announcement of a revamped approach to aid, placing USAID at the center of a new strategy aimed at integrating defense, diplomacy and development.
