The message confirmed Madhuku’s fears that Trump’s return to office might affect his organization’s efforts to save African girls from child marriages.
Many Africans had known that Trump’s “America First” outlook meant their continent was likely to be last among his priorities. But they hadn’t expected the abrupt halt to foreign aid from the world’s largest donor that stops money flowing for wide-ranging projects like disease response, girls’ education and free school lunches.
Even after global outrage prompted some exemptions to Trump’s order, sub-Saharan Africa could suffer more than any other region as most global aid pauses 90 days for a spending review. The U.S. gave the region more than $6.5 billion in humanitarian assistance last year.
For Madhuku and countless others, the damage has been done. His Platform For Youth and Community Development is one of hundreds of small non-governmental organizations in Africa that receive assistance from the U.S. government — and ultimately from the American people — to do good work.
Without U.S. aid, Madhuku’s group can’t give around 100 volunteers allowances for food and public transport as they do outreach seeking to keep girls in school and out of early marriages.
“We had to stop everything, no warning, no time to adjust,” Madhuku said. “I appreciate that Trump might have some justification in trying to account for American taxpayers’ money ... but it has caused disaster here.”
Source: AP