Annual Report 2003
In the spring of 1980, the work of Mercy Corps began with the provision of humanitarian aid to Cambodian refugees in Thailand. Since then our work has reached millions of people in 80 countries, evolving over the years to meet the challenges of a changing world.
In this year's report, as we approach our 25th anniversary, we seek to connect the present with the past by tracing the origins of our work. Like an individual approaching a milestone birthday, we are engaging in a period of self-reflection, asking ourselves: How did we get here? What path did we take? And how did the steps we took decades ago shape who we are today?
In this report, we look at three critical areas of our work: fostering economic development; responding to complex emergencies; and building stronger, more self-reliant communities.
In each case, the ideas at the heart of our work today originated many years earlier — often half a world away, in very different settings. In each section, we present the first seed of an idea, and then the full flower that has bloomed today.