The USA’s international development agency, USAID, has had its funding frozen. Charity organisations and governments around the world are grappling with what this dismantlement means for their programmes that must be immediately halted.
The full scope of USAID’s future is still unclear, but the closures’ impact on African education systems could be lasting.
USAID is the world's largest aid donor, providing 42% of all humanitarian aid globally in 2024. It is widely understood that children will be the hardest hit; life-saving vaccination programmes have had to close, and many rely on USAID-funded education providers for learning support.
As a non-profit EdTech organisation working to transform learning outcomes in Africa, these international developments are deeply disturbing. We are witnessing a shift away from globalised and charitable outlooks, towards isolationist policy.
Edulution hopes to lead in collective and EdTech community-based outreach; to work with new partners, united in the belief that Africa’s children deserve support to achieve their dreams.
In accordance with our 2024-26 strategy, to move from service provider to solution provider, we are currently working with other best-of-breed tech and pedagogy organisations and stakeholders (E.g. Penreach, Ei Mindspark, Pestalozzi, etc.) to scale system-wide change.
As the charitable sector begins to reckon with and address the fallout from the dismantlement of USAID, collaborative efforts to address the learning crisis seem more vital than ever. This way, we can leverage each other's support to tap new funding streams, share expertise, and foster South-South cooperation.
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