General207
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Education interventions in the Ruhiira Village: Sustainable?
By Ashley Elizabeth Henderson One of the biggest criticisms of the Millennium Village Project is sustainability. This week, as an intern on the Uganda team, I witnessed first-hand some of the difficulties surrounding the transition from project initiated interventions to community managed continuation. In the education sector, the site team has three general objectives: universal…
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Thinking of Korea in Sauri, Kenya
I am spending my summer in Sauri, Kenya. As a Masters in Development Practice student (MDP), we have a 12-week field training in a Millennium Village. The first 5 weeks consists of rotations in Agriculture/Business Development, Education, Health, Infrastructure, and Community Development. After the rotations, we will work as a team to draw up a…
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Monitoring and Evaluation is Hard*
A primary component of the Millennium Villages Project education strategy is to improve the quality of education. But are MVP interventions such as school feeding programs, classroom construction, and teacher training truly having an impact on student performance? On Wednesday I attended a planning meeting for an evaluation designed to measure just that. The standardized…
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A Week with the Sauri, Kenya Education Team
Originally posted at karibusauri.wordpress.com My first week’s rotation at the Sauri Millennium Village was with the education sector. In three short days I observed MVP sponsored computer labs, school feeding program kitchens, gender separated latrines, a monitoring and evaluation planning meeting, rainwater harvesting, school livestock; the list goes on. The education team is constantly on the…
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Getting Under the Surface
With many questions still unanswered about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Earth Institute staff have been providing perspective to the public and press on many aspects, from the spill’s magnitude and spread, to the technologies available to abate it, and its long-term policy implications. Marine geophysicist Tim Crone was one of the first to openly question official estimates of the oil’s rate…
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Sustainable Financing in the Mbola MVP?
The MDP Tanzania Team finished our first week here in Tabora town and the Mbola Millennium Village. After spending an orientation day with the Business Enterprise and Development Coordinator and learning about The Mbola Millennium Savings & Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS) as well as the MVP input credit scheme I am left with both questions…
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Gulf Oil Spill Resources
Earth Institute researchers in many disciplines are studying the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and are available to provide information and perspective to press. These include experts in regional seafloor geology; technology of deepwater drilling and spill control; measurement of spill flow; potential movements via underwater or surface currents; possible biological effects; potential effects of…
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Changing Lives One Surgery at a Time: A Team of Urologists Makes an Impact in Kisumu, Kenya
Imagine living out in Western Kenya, suffering from a urological disorder, without access to an affordable specialist. That may be difficult for many of us to picture; unfortunately, that is the reality for hundreds of people living in Kisumu, Kenya, and the surrounding province. With only one urologist in the entire catchment area of five…
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UN Secretary-General Makes First Trip to Millennium Village
Official press release: United Nations Secretary-General Makes First Trip to Millennium Village A run through of remarks the SG made on the Millennium Development Goals and his trip to Mwandama. First his address to the Malawi Parliament. Then speaking to the press on what he saw in Mwandama. Millennium Promise CEO, John McArthur writes, on…
COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More