The GIZ Story Portal

Welcome to the GIZ Story Portal. We invite you to explore GIZ’s work worldwide, get to know fascinating people, and learn about leading experts’ views on crucial topics in international cooperation.

Three men in suits stand in a modern building while the man in the middle gestures upward with a raised hand.

Interview

‘Interest in Africa is growing rapidly’

Heiko Schwiderowski is the Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and Development Cooperation at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and a member of the GIZ Private Sector Advisory Board. He sees good prospects for the German economy in Africa – but, at the same time, many hurdles.

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Portrait of an older gray-haired man in a suit in front of a yellow background.

Interview

‘Entrepreneurship and social responsibility go together’

Sustainable business practices are vital for our future. Philanthropist and entrepreneur Michael Otto discusses this principle in an interview and explains why the Global South is crucial for Germany.

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Infographic on the cocoa supply chain: A smiling cocoa farmer with fresh cocoa pods in a stylized cocoa fruit, connected to an EU container on a light green background.

Report

A valuable harvest

Sustainable supply chains stabilise businesses. A visit to Ghana shows how GIZ supports smallholder farmers in the Global South while boosting the competitiveness of European companies.

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Stories by Topic

Democracy and the rule of law Digital transformation Peace and security Climate and environmental protection Agriculture and nutrition Sustainable infrastructure Social development Economy and employment

Stories by Region

Africa Asia Europe Latin America and the Caribbean

Spotlight on digitalisation

Feature

Digital teamwork

In countries of the Global South and in fragile contexts, digital solutions are emerging that are setting international standards. Germany can learn from experience gained with GovStack, for example, when developing its digital government architecture.

Report

Learning with India: AI language assistants for digital inclusion

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), German and Indian interests are aligned. A visit to the subcontinent highlights why it is essential for AI systems to be trained in multiple languages.

A group of women wearing white coats walk together along a street, led by a woman in brown clothing, with a blurred building in the background.

Interview

‘Digitalising the health care sector is an empowering measure for Africa and Europe’

Digitalisation makes medical care more efficient, safer and more patient-friendly. Kirstin Grosse Frie and Julius Murke, who implement digital health projects in Africa for GIZ, know what Africa and Europe can learn from each other.

Several people sit around a table in a bright room with a laptop and documents, talking, with a “One Health Data Alliance Africa” banner in the background.

Introducing: Faces of GIZ

A smiling woman wearing a yellow scarf stands on a narrow path in a lush green garden filled with plants and flowers.

Hello from Suva

My name is Anina Vontobel. I am from Switzerland and have been working for GIZ for more than ten years now.

Portrait of a smiling person with long dark hair holding a soccer ball under one arm against a gray background.

Hello from Amman

My name is Maryana Al-Haddad. My path to GIZ has been rather unusual: for almost ten years, I played as goalkeeper for the Jordanian national team.

Ein Mann mit Bart in beigem Blazer und weißem T-Shirt spricht gestikulierend vor einem blau-schwarz gemusterten Wandgemälde.

Hello from Brasília

My name is Anderson Falcão. I am responsible for the strategies in the areas of communication, digital transformation and information technology at GIZ Brazil.

Signs of the circular economy

A woman crouches on a beach at sunset next to a bag filled with collected cans and plastic bottles, looking out at the sea. — Marine conservation in Mexico also benefits the seas in Europe: ocean currents connect the oceans, meaning that microplastics and litter are carried around the globe. The Mexican state of Oaxaca is particularly hard hit by the plastic crisis due to urbanisation, population growth and landfill sites near rivers. On behalf of the German Federal Environment Ministry, GIZ has been working there with local authorities and the fisheries and tourism sectors. As a result, plastic consumption by participating hotels has reduced by a third. The lessons learned in Oaxaca are being incorporated into Mexico’s circular economy strategy.
© GIZ

Two men smiling while examining a computer motherboard at an e-waste market. — A blueprint for a genuine circular economy: in the ‘Computer Village’ in Nigeria’s megacity Lagos, local traders collect discarded laptops, PCs and mobile phones. The valuable materials are then sent to professional recyclers. In return, the traders receive a bonus already been factored into the price when a new device is sold in the Global North. The motto is: ‘Put one on the market, recycle one.’ GIZ developed the model together with partners.
© George Osodi/GIZ

Close-up of gloved hands using a screwdriver to disassemble an electronic circuit board from a discarded device. — What began as a pilot project for the circular economy in Nigeria’s ‘Computer Village’ has since become a model for how proper recycling can be financed. The PREVENT Waste Alliance shares these experiences and expertise with circular economy specialists worldwide. The PREVENT Secretariat is managed by GIZ. The Alliance comprises organisations from the academic sector, civil society, public institutions and the private sector – for example, German waste management companies.
© George Osodi/GIZ

A diver with an underwater light hovers above a colourful coral reef featuring orange, red and pink corals. — Protecting underwater treasures: preserving marine biodiversity is crucial for the global climate, because the oceans absorb large quantities of CO₂. In South-East Asia, GIZ is working alongside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect the oceans and coral reefs. Marine biodiversity is particularly rich in the region, but is simultaneously threatened by plastic waste that flows from land into the ocean.
© picture alliance/Reinhard Dirscherl

A group of women in orange high-visibility vests sorting plastic waste together at an outdoor collection point. — GIZ is assisting ASEAN member states in working together to tackle the problem of marine litter. Lessons learned from local pilot projects are being shared, which will then contribute to the protection of the entire Indo-Pacific maritime region. The total coastline of the ASEAN states is approximately 130,000 kilometres.
© 3RproMar/GIZ

Top-down view of closely arranged green and yellow glass bottles illuminated from below. — From waste to recyclable material: in Albania, glass bottles are not usually recycled. On behalf of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, GIZ is supporting the Western Balkan country in establishing a circular economy – a step in the EU accession process. Bottles are systematically recycled or upcycled into filter materials.
© iStock/Rafa Jodar

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