These stories show how resources of the American people are helping to improve the lives of people in Macedonia, with examples of how U.S. foreign assistance works, who the beneficiaries are, and what impact this assistance has on individuals, families and communities in this country.
Vesela Bogdanovik is a primary teacher in a small, rural school in the remote village of Ivanjevci. She travels two hours a day to get to the Koco Racin Primary School where she works. For her, winning the Audience Choice Award at the USAID Primary Education Project (PEP) Film Festival in Macedonia was a true endorsement of the exceptional work she does with her students...
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May 2011 set a monthly record of 40 jobs placed through My Career program, launched in 2009 by the USAID Competitiveness Project to boost youth employment and workforce skills. Through a matching-making website, e-career fairs and certification of career counseling, My Career has ...
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A computerized case management system has had a "revolutionary" impact on the performance of the country's courts, said Judge Stojance Ribarev, President of the Appellate Court in Stip, Macedonia.
The Automated Court Case Management Information System (ACCMIS), which became operational in all 33 of Macedonia's courts in 2010...
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To ensure that teachers incorporate new skills into their practice, USAID/Macedonia developed an innovative certification process for its teacher training programs. These programs no longer provide certificates for simply attending training. Instead, teachers must first provide evidence, through a professional portfolio, that they are using the newly acquired skills and knowledge in their classrooms... more
Macedonian teachers, co-sponsored by USAID and Microsoft Macedonia, won the European Grand Prix in Microsoft’s Innovative Education Forum held March 21-25, 2011, in Moscow. This achievement is the culmination of USAID’s work to support the Government of Macedonia’s (GOM) program to computerize all Macedonian primary schools. Through this joint effort, the GOM provided all primary schools with computers, while USAID helped... more
Macedonia’s apparel manufacturers had extensive face time with famous-name retailers, buyers, agents and industry journalists from the UK and Austria, thanks to the first annual Macedonia-EU Apparel Business-to-Business event (B2B), sponsored by the USAID Macedonia Competitiveness Project (MCP) and other donors and organizations... more
The mandate of the State Education Inspectorate (SEI) of the Republic of Macedonia - to assess the quality of education in primary and secondary schools nationwide through integrated evaluations - has increasingly been taking a more significant role in the education system of the country. In recent years, SEI lacked standardized procedures and tools for carrying out evaluations ... more
Bovin Winery, established in 1998, was the first privately-owned winery in Macedonia, selling 120,000 bottles of high quality red and white wines in its first year. Over the next decade, Bovin raised its capacity to one million liters. However, to enhance its image and product range, the winery needed to expand its facilities and introduce oak aging technology. This would add more value to Bovin’s premium wines and help the company become more competitive and increase its exports. ... more
Thanks to a favorable climate, Macedonia produces a wide variety of high quality fruits and vegetables. But a key to success for participants in the horticultural products value chain –- producers of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables –- is a thorough understanding of how long their products will maintain their quality during post-harvest and distribution activities ... more
In 2005, young entrepreneur Mihail Mateski recognized the new USAID Plastic Recycling Project as an excellent entry point for kicking off the new recycling line of Greentech-Romania in Macedonia. In a country that had no previous history of recycling waste, the Plastic Recycling Project was working to create a plastic collection network that would supply recycling companies with raw PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) materials... more
Seven Macedonian companies exhibited their produce in Germany at Fruit Logistica, the world's leading trade fair for the fresh fruit and vegetable business, in February 2010, with support from the USAID AgBiz Program in partnership with the Swiss Import Promotion Program of Osec (Osec/SIPPO)... more
First Group of 43 Public Procurement Trainers are Certified by the Training Center for Public Procurement
Efficient public procurement is crucial when building and sustaining public and investor trust in government. Transparent procurement procedures not only contribute to more efficient allocation of resources through increased competition, but also result in higher quality procurements, budgetary savings for governments and taxpayers, and reduction of corrupt behavior... more
Macedonian Human Resources Association Develops Its First Strategic Plan
In the years since achieving independence, Macedonian society has paid little attention to developing human capital and increasing awareness of the importance of human resources in the country. This lack of attention has led to an urgent need for investment in human resources professionals as they are crucial to workforce development, which is directly linked to improved quality of products and services ... more
Tool Company builds strategy to expand alliances and markets
A small Macedonian family-managed tool and die firm specializing in both high precision molds for production of metal tools and injection-molded plastics is on track to establish the strategic alliances it needs to expand into global markets. After more than 25 years in Macedonian and regional markets, TE-TE Plast supplies to several industries. Some of its leading customers are Volvo, Peugeot, Philips, Johnson Control, Colgate, Sinalko, Wabtec, Alkaloid and Replek... more
Heating up value and production capacity while protecting environment
For years, Sideros only constructed stove housings with rough metal parts for customers in Italy, who finished assembly there. But thanks to assistance from the USAID Macedonia Competitiveness Project (MCP), the company now specializes in environmentally friendly pellet and wood stoves and boilers— moving up the value chain and in-creasing exports... more
Putting it all together: Consultancy helps apparel company increase productivity to meet demand
In 2008, Macedonia Garment Industry (MGI) had a targeted market segment: CMT production of high quality men’s trousers for Euro-pean fashion brands. The newly established apparel company also had an established buyer within the EU. And its founder, Marcel Melles, had over 20 years’ industry experience in the design, development, manufacturing and sales of men’s trousers... more
Launch of the Public Awareness Campaign of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption
The principles of transparency, openness and cooperation with the public are crucial to the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC). To fight against corruption, everyone, including average citizens, must become aware of the damaging power of corruption and understand that they have a role in prevention ... more
Macedonian Fresh Produce Importers Learn from Polish Experts
The potential accession of Macedonia to the European Union (EU) creates the need for Macedonian agribusinesses exporters to become more competitive in local and regional markets and better positioned to capitalize on enhanced access to EU markets... more
Macedonian Producers Embrace Food Safety Standards
In September 2008, USAID’s AgBiz Program organized a three-day workshop on Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) system implementation, verification and maintenance in Macedonia more
Macedonia Civil Society Flourishing with USAID Support
On June 6, 2008, the $5 million USAID Civil Society Strengthening Project (CSSP) marked the successful completion of its third year of working to make Macedonia’s civil society a more effective, influential, and permanent partner alongside government and busines more
Macedonian Table Grape Companies Learn from Their South African Colleagues - the Fourth Largest Exporters of Table Grapes in the World
With financial and technical support from the USAID Agribusiness Project, representatives of Macedonia’s five leading table grape businesses visited Cape Town, South Africa to learn from the owners of the best table grape vineyards in the world more
USAID brings 6,000 computers to all primary and secondary schools in Macedonia
In modern society, computer technology goes hand-in-hand with education and child development. Interactive educational software, online libraries, virtual chat-rooms where teachers and students can exchange ideas and methodologies – all these are effective tools that help our children learn better, fastermore
USAID Commemorates World Tuberculosis Day
On March 24, 2008, USAID joins the Government of Macedonia and international and local partners in commemorating World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. Worldwide, deaths from TB have gone down since 1990, but the disease continues to claim more than 1.6 million lives each yearmore
USAID helps schools and local governments find common language
The USAID Civil Society Strengthening project celebrated the achievements of its supported NGO, Macedonian Civic Education Center (MCEC), in the implementation of the “Improvement of Education in the Municipalities” project. more
USAID project awards leaders in Corporate Social Responsibility
On February 22nd, the USAID Business Environment Activity co-organized the first ever Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) “Oscars” to recognize CSR leaders in Macedonia. TINEX, a major food chain company, received the top award for its program of offering employment to orphaned young adults
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USAID-supported Center for Economic Analysis develops world-class economic forecasting model
The Center for Economic Analysis (CEA) is an independent and unbiased think-tank that plays a key role in public policy debates and generates high quality macroeconomic analysis.
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USAID helps Macedonian firms learn from leading Turkish food processors
With support from the USAID AgBiz project, eight Macedonian firms, members of the Macedonian Association of Processors (MAP) participated in a study tour to Turkey, including the 2008 Food Technology Fair in Istanbul.
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USAID supported Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM) recognizes the strongest supporters of civil society
On January 30th, the USAID Civil Society Strengthening Project joined the Macedonian Institute for Media (MIM) in presenting the winners of the 2007 Civil Society Media Awards.
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USAID-funded survey reveals strong public support for EU and NATO despite pessimism over the future
The USAID Political Party Support project, implemented by the International Republical Institute (IRI), carried out a comprehensive public opinion survey measuring the level of public support of Government institutions, political parties and key issues for Macedonian citizens.
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In 2007, USAID helped 370 Roma to claim their basic rights through citizenship
For years, USAID has worked with Macedonia’s Roma community to claim their basic rights through citizenship. Citizenship allows this highly marginalized minority to access a number of basic rights, including the right to legal employment or unemployment registration, basic free health care, social welfare, and access to public education..
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The new Public Procurement Law, prepared with USAID assistance, increases the transparency of the Government’s tendering procedures
USAID Business Environment Activity and e-Government Project played a key role in the development of the new Law on Public Procurement in the Republic of Macedonia.
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USAID invests over $300,000 in school renovations all over Macedonia – and it’s just the beginning!
USAID Primary Education Project has completed the first round of school renovations, during which eight schools received approximately $300,000 from USAID and $44,000 from their municipalities for major infrastructural projects
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