The “American Space” at the American University of Iraq-Baghdad (AUIB) hosted Ms. Rayma Baran, Director of the Program Office at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Iraq. Ms. Baran met University officials and gave a presentation to AUIB students on the history of USAID and its activities across continents, and on its ongoing as well as prospective projects and partnerships, with a focus on Iraq.
AUIB President, Dr. Michael Mulnix, welcomed the guest and introduced her to the audience, commending her rich career, where she currently “manages over $1 billion in assistance to Iraq and leads a portfolio that includes strategy, budget, activity design, communications, and donor coordination.”
USAID’s activities “help support our own national security goals,” while at the same time offering “humanitarian assistance” and “capacity building” projects in countries across the globe, stated Ms. Baran, expounding on the Agency’s programs that range between “disaster relief” and “developmental solutions… focusing on the needs of the most marginalized.”