Mercy Corps International

Mercy Corps International is a US-based humanitarian organization that seeks to eliminate poverty and promote democracy in transitional or disadvantaged countries. The organization focuses primarily on providing emergency relief services in areas affected by natural disaster or war, and promoting community development and the growth of civil society. Mercy Corps currently operates programs in Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The Mercy Corps program in Kyrgyzstan distributes food to orphanages, kindergartens, hospitals, and local agencies for the unemployed. In rural towns, the Corps provides food for laborers who work on community projects, extends credit to farmers and helps to develop farmers' associations and other support networks. Mercy Corps also runs "micro-credit" programs to encourage small business growth, especially for women-owned ventures.

A print version of much of the information contained in this Central Asian Third Sector Organizations section can be found in Civil Society in Central Asia (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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Last updated:    November 1998