For over 50 years, the AKDN and its predecessors have worked to overcome the obstacles to improving the quality of life. By providing technical expertise and financial means, it has brought the benefits of public works to poor areas, including: systems for potable water and irrigation, sanitation systems that improve health, roads and bridges that provide access to markets, energy that lights homes and provides power for industry, and mobile phone networks that have helped restore national telecommunications. These efforts have encompassed the construction of small-scale infrastructure, but they also include bigger projects – such as large-scale power-generating plants and nationwide telecommunications – which are designed to overcome specific impediments to national progress. Today, they are often vital components of the overall quality of life.