Global – Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA)

Engaging Volunteer Experts to Share Technical Expertise

ACDI/VOCA is a founding member of Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA), the world's largest consortium of economic growth organizations providing volunteer technical expertise in private sector development. VEGA has been able to draw upon an extensive pool (more than 40,000) of volunteer specialists to execute projects on nearly every continent in private market development, financial services, agribusiness development and expanded opportunities for rural and urban poor.

The Alliance includes ACDI/VOCA, the International Executive Service Corps, Citizens Democracy Corps, Winrock International, Partners of the Americas, the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs, Land O’Lakes, the Financial Services Volunteer Corps, TechnoServe and others. The volunteer organizations work together to use one another’s strengths for program development and execution with a cost-effective and capable mix of long-term employees and volunteers.

ACDI/VOCA has been integral to VEGA’s development. Fred Smith, senior managing director for Financial Services & Integrated Rural Development, serves on the Associate Design Committee, VEGA Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee, where he fulfills the role of secretary. Under VEGA’s leader grant, ACDI/VOCA has the opportunity to implement associate awards to provide firm-level or industry support in targeted subsectors; strengthen local organizations; create access to market opportunities; link volunteer activities to long-term donor programs; support communities and community organizations; and engage the public sector to create a sound policy and regulatory environment.

In 2004, the U.S. Agency for International Development awarded VEGA a 5-year, $2.5 million cooperative agreement to support the implementation of a leader-with-associates award. VEGA used its network of member organizations with 350 years of combined experience in 140 countries to develop volunteer-driven economic growth activities for USAID.

ACDI/VOCA is currently part of a five-member consortium working under VEGA to implement the Agricultural Markets and Enterprise Development (AMED) program in South Sudan. The goal of AMED is to develop a base for future private sector-led growth of domestic and export trade through 1) capacity building in agricultural and natural resource systems; 2) direct support to private enterprises and producers; 3) support to governmental and nongovernmental agencies that must facilitate recovery; 4) support to the government of South Sudan on policy formulation for trade development; and 5) drawing upon the skills and support of South Sudan’s diaspora to assist in economic development.

Click here for more information about ACDI/VOCA’s AMED project in Sudan.

For more information, visit the Vega Alliance website at www.vegaalliance.org or contact Lee Warren at lwarren@vegaalliance.org .

Updated: 10/07

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