Offices & Departments

U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Benin

US foreign assistance programs in Benin are administered primarily by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Assistance is based on an integrated strategy that includes clearly defined program objectives and performance targets.

The USAID Mission to Benin was re-established in December 1991 with an overriding objective to help consolidate both economic restructuring and the democratization process in Benin. Such consolidation required two parallel thrusts:

1. Continued improvements in the economic reform process, including the enabling environment and in the regulatory and institutional framework;

    

2. Development of a supportive human resources base.

    

The USAID/Benin program focuses primarily on developing Benin’s human resource base through improving the quality of and access to basic education and strengthening family health services in both the private and public sectors. In addition, USAID/Benin manages activities under two global initiatives: the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the Women’s Justice and Empowerment Initiative (WJEI). Under PMI, USAID/Benin aims to reach vulnerable groups with proven preventive and therapeutic interventions to reduce malaria-related morbidity and mortality. USAID/Benin’s focus under WJEI is on increasing awareness of gender-based violence and improving the capacity of care centers and shelters to address the comprehensive needs of victims of gender-based violence.