USAID and the Caribbean: Neighbors, Partners, Friends
By Acting USAID Administrator John Barsa
Growing up in Miami as the son of a Cuban mother who fled Castro’s regime, I was surrounded by a mix of cultures. Many of my classmates, neighbors, and friends were like me, with parents who immigrated to the United States from all over the Caribbean. We grew up eating roti from Trinidad and dancing to reggae from Jamaica. The cultural pepperpot that makes up the Caribbean is truly special, and I was lucky to have experienced that vibrancy as a child.
One of the key lessons I’ve taken from my upbringing is that the United States and the Caribbean have deep, longstanding ties. Our futures are interwoven. We make each other better. We are truly neighbors, partners, and friends.
That’s why I’m proud of USAID’s long history of fruitful collaboration with the people of the Caribbean to build healthier lives and support vibrant communities. For decades, USAID has been partnering with the Caribbean people to advance education, health, economic development, and prosperity. In the past five years alone, USAID has invested $650 million in the Caribbean.
I’m honored to have seen this work firsthand in Haiti, Jamaica, and The Bahamas. I met with people whose lives and futures have been changed for the better because of the work we’ve done together. I’ve heard their stories, and I’ve felt the hope that they now have for themselves and their families.
When I traveled to Haiti, I saw how USAID promotes entrepreneurship by empowering farmers to build their own futures and thrive.
To boost the country’s agricultural sector, our partnership with the private sector and the Farmers’ Association of La Chapelle is helping to increase the production of high-yield banana crops, putting more money in local farmers’ pockets so they can feed their families. I spoke with the president of the Farmers’ Association of La Chapelle, who expressed his appreciation of USAID’s partnership with the private sector, which is to him the most effective and sustainable way to address extreme poverty, to build the resilience of poor farmers, and to stimulate economic growth and rural development in Haiti.
In Jamaica, I visited Trench Town, a neighborhood where USAID is creating opportunities for Jamaican youth through the Boys’ Town/HEART Trust Vocational Training Centre. I spoke to several young men and boys who were enrolled at the center, and I was inspired to see how USAID was helping these young people and so many others make a better future for themselves through education and training.
I also traveled to The Bahamas to see USAID’s humanitarian assistance in action. It made me extraordinarily proud to see our Agency leading the U.S. Government’s nearly $38 million response to Hurricane Dorian and delivering urgent assistance to families affected by the storm that hit the islands in 2019. We’re there when our neighbors need us.
In the past five years, we have provided $194 million to respond to disasters such as hurricanes. We are also partnering with Caribbean nations to address COVID-19. To date, we have provided $21.6 million in assistance to the region as it responds to the pandemic in addition to providing life-saving ventilators to several countries.
I highlight these moments from my trips because I believe they are important. When the United States and our Caribbean partners work together, we can have a profound, positive effect on people’s lives.
We need to celebrate these moments, which is why USAID is proud to launch “Neighbors, Partners, Friends.”
The Agency’s new initiative will highlight key milestones in our longstanding partnership with the Caribbean people and how we are advancing our shared goal of a more prosperous and strong region. It will feature stories from the field and will share vibrant voices from the Caribbean region.
Together, we can expand economic opportunities, make communities more vibrant, and strengthen resilience to disasters in the Caribbean. Our work in the region is affirming what those of us with connections to the Caribbean have always known: we are, and will always be, neighbors, partners, and friends.
About the Author
John Barsa is the Acting Administrator for USAID. Follow him at @JBarsaUSAID.
