IIRR

04/22/2026

This Earth Day, we are reminded that the health of our planet is deeply connected to the wellbeing of rural communities, ecosystems, and all living species that share this Earth. From land to water, from farms to forests, caring for the Earth means caring not only for people, but also for the animals, plants, and natural systems that sustain life every day. Let us work together for a healthier planet, thriving biodiversity, and stronger rural communities.

03/08/2026

🌼 Happy International Women’s Day 2026! 🌼

Today, we celebrate the incredible strength and achievements of women around the world!

This year’s theme, "Rights. Justice. Action.", resonates deeply with our mission IIRR, where we are dedicated to empowering women through our various programs that promote:

✔️ Rights: We work tirelessly to educate and empower women about their rights, ensuring they have the knowledge and tools to advocate for themselves and their communities.

✔️ Justice: Our initiatives tackle critical issues like gender-based violence and discrimination, helping women to become advocates for justice and equality in their societies.

✔️ Action: We inspire women to take action, providing them with the resources and support needed to start businesses, lead community projects, and drive change.

Let’s stand together to uplift women everywhere and work towards a future where every woman’s voice is heard, and their rights are respected.

Join us in celebrating the power of women today and every day!

02/18/2026

A powerful reminder that when young people, especially women, are given the skills, support, and opportunity to lead, even long-standing cultural barriers can transform into pathways for livelihoods, dignity, and lasting community resilience.

Since 2024, the Mass Youth Employment in Apiculture (MaYEA) program, led by IIRR and partners, has been transforming Ethiopia’s beekeeping sector while creating opportunities for young people, especially women. Beyond increasing honey production, the program is breaking long-standing cultural barriers.

Bayde Wole, a mother of seven from South Omo, is one of the women whose life has changed through MaYEA. In her community, women were once forbidden from beekeeping. Through dialogue with elders and hands-on training, that taboo was lifted.

Today, Bayde runs her own beekeeping business, has expanded her livelihood with a bank-supported loan, and is part of a growing movement of Hamer women becoming professional beekeepers.

In just two years, thousands of women have stepped into opportunities once denied to them, proving that when tradition meets innovation, communities thrive and the future shines brighter.

Read more impact stories on our website
https://iirr.org/project-impact-stories/

02/02/2026

🐝 Born Again Through Opportunity: Abraham’s Story

At 26, Abraham Abebe Haile from Kafa Zone, Southwest Ethiopia, once dreamed of becoming an athlete. At age 12, a tragic dog bite left him paralyzed in both legs, ending that dream. Still, Abraham refused to give up. From farming coffee and spices to raising chickens and building traditional beehives, he kept moving forward.

In 2024, hope truly returned when he joined the MaYEA Program, which supports youth, including persons with disabilities. After receiving training in apiculture, livestock, and entrepreneurship, Abraham grew from three handmade beehives to 25 active beehives and eight sheep, supported by a loan of 87,000 birr.

Today, Abraham dreams of engaging other youth, especially those with disabilities, to grow together and one day export honey.

“What has happened in my life feels like being born again.”

The MaYEA Program, led by IIRR and locally implemented by MELCA Ethiopia, continues to turn resilience into opportunity.

Read more impact stories on our website https://iirr.org/project-impact-stories/

12/26/2025

Strong communities are built by people who know how to listen, learn, and lead together.

Through IIRR's Global Learning Program (GLP), practitioners from across the Global South, local officials, NGO workers, educators, and community leaders, gain practical skills to tackle real development challenges in their own communities.

GLP trainings are hands-on and field-based. Participants visit project sites, learn from one another, and co-create solutions they can put into practice right away. The program emphasizes quality, efficiency, and effectiveness, regularly reviewing how training translates into meaningful action on the ground.

So far, GLP has:

> Trained 12,700+ practitioners
> Delivered 620+ training courses
> Supported 370+ organizations

By strengthening people, not just projects, GLP helps ensure development efforts are more sustainable, inclusive, and impactful over the long term.

Learn more and get involved:
https://iirr.org/learn-with-us/

12/24/2025

Happy Holidays from all of us at IIRR!

This year, your support helped empower communities, protect ecosystems, and build resilience in the face of growing challenges. Thank you for walking with us.

We look forward to shaping an even stronger, more sustainable future together in the coming year.

12/22/2025

In many rural schools, learning is shaped not only by textbooks and teachers, but by access to basic health infrastructure.

According to global health agencies, proper handwashing with soap can reduce diarrheal disease by up to 40% and respiratory infections by around 20%, two of the leading causes of absenteeism among young children. Yet in many low-resource school settings, handwashing facilities remain limited or absent.

Through IIRR’s Clean Hands, Bright Futures initiative, schools in Cambodia are being equipped with durable, low-cost handwashing stations built from locally available materials, paired with practical hygiene education led by teachers.

Students don’t just learn what to do, they learn why it matters. Daily handwashing becomes a shared routine of care that protects health, supports consistent school attendance, and reinforces lifelong habits. These practices extend beyond the classroom as children bring new behaviors home, influencing families and strengthening community health.

Sometimes, the most transformative investments are also the simplest, because healthy children learn better, and healthy habits last a lifetime.

12/19/2025

IIRR is seeking a Regional Director - Africa (based in Kenya) to lead the organization's next decade of impact across East and Southern Africa.

IIRR is one of the world’s leading rural development organizations, with over 65 years of community-led engagement globally. Our work is designed to empower rural communities to build resilient livelihoods, climate-smart food systems, and sustainable pathways out of poverty.

To date, IIRR’s programs have positively impacted more than 68 million rural lives, demonstrating our long-standing commitment to scalable, community-centered development that endures. We are now entering a bold new phase of growth and expansion across Africa.

The Regional Director role is an exciting opportunity for a motivated senior leader to shape strategy, expand partnerships, strengthen country operations, and drive the next major leap in our regional footprint.

To learn more and apply, please visit >>>>

www.iirr.org/careers

12/17/2025

Child malnutrition remains a major barrier to learning and long-term opportunity in many rural communities. Globally, millions of children lack access to diverse, nutritious diets, affecting their ability to grow, focus, and succeed in school.

Even where food is available, it is often not nutritious enough. Traditional school feeding programs help, but they can be costly and difficult to sustain.

IIRR’s Bio-Intensive Gardening (BIG) program offers a practical alternative. By training teachers and students to grow climate-smart vegetable gardens on school grounds, BIG improves access to fresh food while turning schools into living classrooms. Garden harvests supplement school meals, lower feeding costs, and teach children about local, nutritious crops. Families often replicate the gardens at home, extending the benefits into the wider community.

Sometimes, the most sustainable solutions start right where children learn.

12/15/2025

Water scarcity is one of the most urgent threats to rural development today. UNICEF and WHO report that 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, and global studies show that 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. The UN warns that half of the world’s population could be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. Climate change is accelerating this crisis, drying wetlands, degrading catchments, and weakening already fragile water systems.

IIRR’s Integrated Water Resource Management project in Uganda is helping communities respond to these challenges with practical, community-led solutions. The program restores degraded catchments, builds water-harvesting and storage systems, strengthens community water committees, and equips households with tools to safeguard their water sources long-term. These are not quick fixes, they are systems that build resilience for generations.

Reliable, sustainable water access transforms daily life. Children remain in school instead of walking long distances for water. Women regain time for livelihoods and community leadership. Families grow food even in dry seasons. With secure water, entire communities become better prepared to adapt to climate change and plan for a more stable future.

To support this work, we invite corporate and workplace-giving partners to join our Benevity campaign: Restoring Water, Restoring Hope. Your contribution strengthens community-led water resilience where it is needed most.

Donate:
https://iirr.org/donate/

Workplace giving via Benevity:
https://benevity.com/