John Rachkara

John Rachkara is an experienced market systems development practitioner currently serving as the Chief of Party at Mercy Corps for the Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity.1 Here are some key details about his background and role:

Professional Experience

• Current Position: Chief of Party at Mercy Corps since July 20231
• Previous Roles:
  • Deputy Chief of Party for the Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity at Mercy Corps (July 2021 - June 2023)1
  • Interventions Manager at Palladium (July 2016 - December 2019)1
  • Deputy Chief of Party at AVSI Foundation (July 2013 - June 2016)1

Expertise

• 15 years of experience in market systems development1
• Worked across various market types including labor, commodity, service, rural, and urban markets1
• Experience in both stable and conflict-affected regions1
• Focus on agricultural and non-agricultural sectors1

Current Project

John Rachkara leads the Feed the Future Nigeria Rural Resilience Activity, which is:

• A five-year, $49 million initiative funded by USAID1
• Aimed at facilitating economic recovery and growth in Northeast Nigeria1
• Impacting over 600,000 participants, including farmers, MSMEs, youth, women, and children1

Approach and Impact

• Takes a systems approach to create lasting changes in market incentives, rules, and norms1
• Focuses on catalyzing sustainable and transformative socio-economic change1
• Under his leadership, the project has created more than 9,000 jobs and mobilized approximately $11 million in loans and trade finance1

John Rachkara is known for his expertise in systems thinking and his ability to drive impactful change in East and West Africa.1