Think Creative - Issue 7

Think Creative by Creative Associates International

Letter from Leland Kruvant President & CEO Creative Associates International

CREATIVE SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Founder & Board Chair Charito Kruvant President & CEO Leland Kruvant Chief Operating Officer Pablo Maldonado Chief Financial Officer Oswaldo Holguin Senior Vice President Thomas Wheelock Senior Vice President Sharon Cooley VP, External Relations Jessica Kruvant VP, Global Operations Mario Vilela VP, Education Eileen St. George VP, Economic Growth Jim Winkler

people through a door-to-door effort that busted myths, offered guidance and provided hand soap. It is during difficult times that people demonstrate their respon- siveness—and I have found it to be nothing short of incredible. I am immensely proud of our staff and partners around the world. Though the road is still very long, it reassures me that we will get through this together. Please stay healthy and enjoy your new issue of Think Creative. Sincerely,

Think Creative magazine goes to press during the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, a fast-mov- ing pandemic that has touched every program and community where we work. Today is a moment in history that tests our ability to ensure the well-being of our teammembers and deliver on our mission. Creative has confronted other crisis situations that have pushed our ability to be responsive and adaptive. However, there is no playbook for a pandemic of this magnitude and speed. All of us have learned a lot and are still discovering new approaches to living and working during this pandemic.

Our colleagues are rising to meet the challenge. In the field, I am inspired by on-the-ground leadership of our Chiefs of Party and their staffs’ commitment to continued service to their commu- nities while adapting to the reality of COVID-19. Across the globe, Creative’s talent- ed staff members are addressing the needs of communities and seeking solutions to programmat- ic demands. For example, our USAID-support project in Northeastern Nigeria made a quick pivot and launched a two-state campaign called #StopTheSpread. After training community groups, on day one they reached more than 5,000

EDITORIAL STAFF

Senior Director, Communications Michael J. Zamba Art Direction Amanda Smallwood Communications Manager Marta S. Maldonado Marketing Coordinator Evelyn Rupert Writers Janey Fugate Ashley Williams Digital & Social Media Specialist Olivia Chapman

20 Feature Stories 20 // Bilingual Education Strategy: A big win for learners in Mozambique  22 // Catalyzing Growth: Nigerian and U.S. officials kick off West Africa Trade & Investment Hub 25 Creative Life A mission-driven community 26 // Staff Spotlight: Naseer Ahmad Serving others through a career in IT 27 // Staff Photo Submissions 28 // Women on the Move: Recognizing women as a force for positive change 30// Walk this Way: A day in the life of Amina Aminu, Media Producer for Nigeria’s NEI Plus

Bilingual Education 20 p.

Women on the Move 29 p.

Think Creative is published three times a year by Creative Associates International, a global development organization dedicated to supporting people around the world to realize the positive change they seek. The content is produced by Creative and does not represent the policies or positions of its clients, partners or host governments. Reproduction of any or all of Think Creative is prohibited without prior written permission. Copyright ©2020.

Meet Naseer! 26 p.

For more information about Think Creative , please email us at ThinkCreative@CreativeDC.com

5301 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20015 + 202.966.5804 Creative Associates International

Photos by Skip Brown (Leland Kruvant, Naseer Ahmad); Erick Gibson (top); iStock (middle)

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