Sunday, October 30, 2016

MCC Issues Statement on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 17, 2016

The Power to Reduce Poverty

Today, on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, MCC reflects on our mission to reduce poverty through economic growth. Since our founding in 2004, MCC has invested more than $11 billion toward lifting people out of poverty around the world.

What’s more, according to recently released World Bank poverty data, the number of people living in extreme poverty decreased by 114 million people between 2012 and 2013. And between 2008 and 2013, 20 of 28 MCC compact countries saw a decrease in extreme poverty by an average of more than six percentage points.

Increasing access to electricity is key to reducing poverty. That’s why MCC is investing in energy across West Africa and supports the goals of the U.S. Government’s Power Africa effort. MCC has committed approximately $1.5 billion to increasing access to electricity through compacts and threshold programs to improve the quality and reliability of electricity.

Over the next two weeks, MCC CEO Dana J. Hyde is traveling to four partner countries — Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana — to see MCC’s power investments. Access to reliable power makes communities healthier, helps kids learn, and connects countries to the global economy.

We invite you to follow along with our CEO’s journey on the trip site, and on Twitter using #MCCPoweringAfrica, as she highlights MCC’s role in powering Africa and fighting poverty.

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