Think Creative Issue 8

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

Since the spring issue of Think Creative , our world has changed dramatically. We have all felt the impacts of COVID-19 on our families, friends, colleagues and communities. At the same time, there is no shortage of inspiring stories of ordinary people stepping up to do what they can to help. That’s what we want to celebrate with this issue of Think Creative . Inside, you’ll find profiles of 10 individ- uals making a difference, each selected by our field staff. I’m proud of how Creative is also doing our part as an organization. Through our “Respond, Recover and Thrive” COVID-19 action

plan, we’re working with clients, partners and beneficiaries to ad- dress the long-term effects of the pandemic. You’ll see a snapshot of these efforts on page 12. As the world grapples with COVID-19, the United States is also confronting the plague of systemic racism. Again, I’m proud of how Creative and our staff have stepped up to calls for justice and equality. We know those words need to be matched by actions. At Creative, we are having ongo- ing, thoughtful discussions and making commitments to promote racial equity, both inside and

outside of the company. As part of our strategy, Creative formed a Diversity & Inclusion Council, which is the focal point for engag- ing all levels of the company in support of this goal. We know there is much more to do, and these issues can’t be solved in a matter of months. However, we are committed to moving forward together. I hope you enjoy this issue of Think Creative. Sincerely,

EDITORIAL STAFF

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

22 Feature Stories

22 // A Second Chance: La Factoría Ciudadana reintegrates former gang members in El Salvador 

A Second Chance 22 p.

25 Creative Life A mission-driven community 26 // Staff Spotlight: Hind Audsley

Diversity & Inclusion Council

Meet Hind! 26 p.

A passion for Middle East development

27 // • Introducing Diversity & Inclusion Council • Q&A with Sandy Oleksy-Ojikutu 28 // Creative in Quarantine: Creative staff members share how they have adapted to work away from the office during COVID-19 30// Walk this Way: A day in the life of Olufemi “Femi” Adetola, Project Security Manager for the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub

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, Hind Audsley); Carlos Diaz (top)

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