Look hard enough in a public clinic anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa and you're sure to find a flyer, maybe a piece of cloth, or a cardboard box with the acronym USAID printed on it somewhere and an emblem of two hands shaking with the tagline "From the American People" below it. That's because USAID and it's budget in excess of a billion dollars means that USAID, and by proxy the American people, is nearly everywhere and nearly everywhere all of the time. Whether it's in clinics, schools, immigration offices, or a multitude of other places, USAID - through it's assistance programs to varying countries - is in nearly every aspect of a person's life (at least in Zambia).
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| A bicycle from my time down in Zambia's Southern Province. Purchased with USAID money and distributed by my organization to a local farmer. |
But, I don't think Americans really fully comprehend how big of an organization USAID is, how broad its reach is, or what its impact really is. I know I didn't. I had heard of USAID, but I had no idea that most (if not all) of the drugs used by HIV/AIDS patients here in Zambia are provided through USAID funds. Or that USAID is funding the rebuilding of war-torn Afghanistan (from roads to government ministries). In nearly every country USAID is hard at work.
Aside from the small stickers and fliers strewn across the country announcing this building, that box, and those medicine containers as being given by the American taxpayer, there really isn't all that much in the way of branding. Yes, the logo is seen but I don't think people really understand what it's showing... that that product is a direct investment in this country or that country from the people of the United States.
It should be a point of pride for we Americans. We're helping in the most remote corners of the world by supplying needed goods and capital, yet we seldom hear about his good work. To me, it seems like a serious branding issue. It's probably my American side feeling like this could be marketed better, and maybe Zambians aren't the right target for my proposed self-induced praise, but I think Americans should at least know what they're doing, what they're funding. It's important work and who doesn't think important work shouldn't be praised?
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| In the village I received 50 mosquito net that were purchased with USAID money and given to the local Zambian Ministry of Health clinic for distribution. I then distributed them to my neighbors for use in their houses. |
Aside from the small stickers and fliers strewn across the country announcing this building, that box, and those medicine containers as being given by the American taxpayer, there really isn't all that much in the way of branding. Yes, the logo is seen but I don't think people really understand what it's showing... that that product is a direct investment in this country or that country from the people of the United States.
It should be a point of pride for we Americans. We're helping in the most remote corners of the world by supplying needed goods and capital, yet we seldom hear about his good work. To me, it seems like a serious branding issue. It's probably my American side feeling like this could be marketed better, and maybe Zambians aren't the right target for my proposed self-induced praise, but I think Americans should at least know what they're doing, what they're funding. It's important work and who doesn't think important work shouldn't be praised?
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