All my work in the southeastern African country of Malawi over the past nine months came to a sudden halt with the Trump administration’s recent freezing and dismantling of USAID.
This project was designed to establish a national education program focused on reproductive health, the prevention of sexual gender-based violence, education for mothers and children living with HIV, child marriage prevention and the protection of children from violence. Now, this initiative is just one of thousands of foreign aid programs worldwide that are dead in the water.
In nearly 20 years of working in humanitarian aid, I never imagined a day when billionaires would dismantle and eradicate lifesaving global aid programs, along with the systems that make them possible.
If the U.S. can’t provide 1% of its budget to help lift the world’s most vulnerable people, then it is a far cry from a great nation.
I have worked as an educator with many international nongovernmental organizations across 25 different countries in emergency and development education programs. A few examples include disaster management education in Micronesia; menstrual hygiene management education in Myanmar; sexual gender-based violence awareness education in Central African Republic; and girls’ reproductive health education in Zambia. The list goes on. The majority of these projects were funded on some level by USAID.
My identity is tied to my passion for humanitarian assistance. I’ve never met an aid worker who didn’t care greatly about their projects or the missions of the organizations they served.
The international development field is made up of academics, researchers, writers, entrepreneurs, caregivers, medical workers, educators and problem solvers. From agriculture experts to epidemiologists, the sector showcases a rainbow of global knowledge, talent and perspectives. It is not made up of bleeding hearts or tree-hugging hippies. If some of us don’t look broadly across the world for ways we can be of service to the least fortunate, then who will?
In my experience living and working in developing countries, people always welcomed my work with excitement and gratitude. In Malawi I was greeted by song and dance in every community I visited. People understand education is key to improving their quality of life. I firmly believe that education programs are crucial to foreign assistance.
Why Malawi is a good candidate for foreign aid:
● Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world, ranked 172 out of 193 countries and territories on the Human Development Index;
● Nearly 71% of the population lives in extreme poverty;
● Access to clean water, sanitation and health care remains a major challenge for many;
● One million youth and adults live with HIV;
● 46% of girls are married before the age of 18;
● 42% of women in Malawi have experienced physical violence from a partner at some point in their lives (this number in reality is likely much higher).
The living conditions in many of the small villages I visited in southern Malawi were grim. Community members’ biggest concerns were newborns with HIV, high levels of partner abuse, illiteracy, lack of economic prospects, and rampant diarrheal diseases such as cholera due to lack of soap and proper sanitation and hygiene practices. Soap was often considered too expensive to purchase.
Despite having these odds stacked against them, Malawians welcomed the opportunity to see improvements in their communities. This new program gave people hope for a better future. Now, in absence of this program, they will likely feel abandoned.
Dissolving USAID is like cutting the main artery serving the entire global aid ecosystem. The world’s most vulnerable will suffer more than ever. Thousands of small NGOs across the world will be forced to close their doors. Their employees who believe in their missions will be jobless. Chaos and calamity are sure to come.
