Stories of IREX

KICK emphasizes sports as a medium for conflict management and promoting mutual understanding. Through the program, coaches and youth from different regions and ethnic and religious backgrounds in Kyrgyzstan engage in conversations about gender and sports and come to acknowledge that many of the benefits for boys are just as relevant for girls.  In addition, they identified the impact that increased physical ability and confidence can have in reducing girls’ vulnerability against attack and abuse from a stranger or a loved one.

Mansur Ganiev has learned that to strengthen the legal system in Tajikistan, he must work for those most underserved to understand their legal rights. An alumnus of the Legal Education and Development Short-Term English Program (LEAD STEP), Ganiev returned to his home country a few months ago and wasted no time in implementing change to strengthen the criminal justice system and the rule of law.

Soccer is the most popular sport in many countries, and for the children in Tyr, Lebanon, that is no different. However, soccer fields are few and far between, and the rare and valuable playing space can only be reserved for a fee leaving the local youth few places to gather and play. Now they have a field of their own. With funding and support from the One Community program, the Cadmous Christian School and the Islamic Charity Organization gathered local Christian, Sunni and Shia children to build a soccer field on the grounds of the school.

After more than forty years of implementing international education programs, IREX has witnessed the deep, transformational effects of global exchange on individuals, communities, and nations. Thousands of students, professionals, teachers from around the world have experienced the U.S. through educational opportunities and returned home to improve their communities and strengthen ties between the U.S. and their countries. IREX celebrates International Education Week with great pleasure and congratulates the students and alumni who are working tirelessly to build bridges across cultures.

Recognizing the need for accurate and organized health information, Romanian librarian Ghiță Vlădoiu developed and launched the Biblio@Sănătate (Library@health) initiative, an online database that provides information about the best doctors in the county as well as national and international specialists. 

Youth from Romania and Moldova gave voice to their personal stories of change in a participatory evaluation of the Youth Civic Engagement and Dialogue program. Using the Most Significant Change technique, more than 80 youth participated in an evaluation in which they gathered stories of change from each other and shared their recommendations for the future of the project.

Teacher Heather Riffel is playing an instrumental role in the development of Colorado’s youth workforce. Through her work as an agriculture teacher at Boulder’s Career and Technical School (CTEC), Heather empowers students with the skills they need to contribute productively to the$20 billion dollar agricultural industry in Colorado. It was in Indonesia, however, where she found ways to strengthen the link between her work and the industry. 

Even after years of experience working on youth development projects in his native Malawi, Rex Mlotha wanted to expand his horizons. His self-proclaimed “passion for positive change” led him to travel halfway across the globe—almost 10,000 miles—to Seattle, Washington. Mlotha credits this passion and experience for motivating him to apply to the Community Solutions Program.

 “There is wide gap between communities and NGOs. I feel Serve 4 Change can fill this gap and act as a bridge between communities and organizations, which will later empower people,” says Salamat. His youth-led organization, Serve 4 Change, is directly enhancing local capacity and giving voice to the true needs of communities in rural Gilgit-Baltistan. “I believe our issues are not big, but they are significant.”

 IREX is leading a global effort called Beyond Access – Libraries Powering Development. In partnership with nine organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Beyond Access draws attention to the role public libraries can play in delivering information and advancing development. 
Earlier this month IREX and Beyond Access partners hosted the first major gathering of library innovators along with government officials and technology and development experts.