Business Daily (BBC World Service)

Episode: What's next for USAID funded projects?

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Sam Fenwick

Brief Overview

This episode explores the impact of the abrupt US government decision to slash and ultimately shut down its USAID aid programs, leaving hundreds of development and humanitarian projects around the globe in jeopardy. Through firsthand stories from Rwanda and Nepal, and interviews with affected NGOs and strategists, the episode examines the scramble for funding, emergency stop-gap measures from both mystery philanthropists and former USAID staff, and a looming uncertainty over the future of global aid as traditional funding sources recede.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Human Impact: Stories from Rwanda

• Marciana's Story (02:32–05:18)

  • Marciana, from Rwanda's Nyagatare district, describes how USAID-backed charity Village Enterprise enabled her to transition from moving house-to-house in poverty to running a profitable goat-rearing business.
  • She highlights the role of training and community support in building her confidence to start a business, countering gender norms:
    • “In the past, men would oppress us, saying that women shouldn't do business and earn money. But when Village Enterprise came and explained how people trade and make a profit, I thought, I too can do business and earn money.” — Marciana [04:38]

• Beata's Story (05:18–06:18)

  • Another local, Beata, leveraged the program’s grants and mentoring to launch a soap-making business, now training other young people.
  • She stresses the ripple effects for the broader community and national development:
    • “If I work alone and develop myself while other young people around me are not developing, then it doesn't really help me or benefit the country…by making soap, we generate money, and each person in the group contributes. That money supports our families, and even the taxes we will pay will contribute to national development.” — Beata [06:18]

2. The Political Context: Why Was USAID Shut Down?

• US Policy Shift (07:06–10:03)

  • Sam Fenwick explains that the Trump administration—returning to office—issued an executive order suspending all USAID projects, resulting in 83% of contracts being canceled within weeks, and the agency’s formal shutdown by July 2025.

• Republican Rationale

  • Matthew Bartlett (Republican strategist, former State Department appointee):
    • Argues the Republican Party has long been skeptical of foreign aid, doubting its efficacy and criticizing creation of dependency:
      • “There’s always been a skepticism around foreign aid in the Republican Party in terms of efficacy and rationale of creating a culture of dependency… and as a global response to Covid, potentially an overreach…a very progressive administration that wanted to promote very progressive, even somewhat controversial ide[to]...incorporate them and advocate and push them internationally through USAID.” — Matthew Bartlett [08:17]
    • Differentiates between Trump and Biden admin approaches:
      • “We had the taxpayer front in mind and we had different priorities. And then when you had Joe Biden, they completely drastically changed that.” — Matthew Bartlett [09:33]

3. Emergency Response: How Some Projects Survived

• Project Resource Optimisation (PRO) (12:05–13:09)

  • A small group of ex-USAID staff form PRO, reviewing a massive database of 20,000+ projects to assess which were most cost-effective and impactful.
  • Using algorithmic analysis and direct NGO engagement, they narrow this to 79 projects, which are then publicized for potential donors.
  • “We started with a large public database…began collecting and collating and critically analyzing the most cost-effective projects…to figure out…where…you would need to put that first dollar to save the most lives.” — Rob Rosenbaum [12:05]

• Philanthropic Lifeline

  • Initial donations, including a $6 million gift from a retired New York lawyer, help fund 37 of the 79 top-priority projects.

    • Donor’s perspective:
      • “This is an emergency. This is a crisis. So until the crisis goes away, people will step up because we are in a crisis. I do not believe this is the way of the future because the funds will run dry.” — Anonymous donor [13:41]

  • A major anonymous donor later provides $65 million, covering the rest for 12 months:

    • “They wanted to do more than anticipated and they decided to fund all of the remaining projects…to keep them operational for the next 12 months.” — Sasha Gallant, PRO [15:28]

4. Long-Term Uncertainty & Governmental Strain

• Case Study: Nepal (15:52–17:57)
  • Helen Keller International’s malnutrition program in rural Nepal, previously USAID-supported, gets a temporary reprieve via PRO—but faces a daunting funding cliff.
    • “The PRO funding really helped to bridge the gap between the most essential services and the families.” — Pooja Pandray, Helen Keller International Country Director [17:08]
    • The Nepalese government is under strain after losing both direct and government-to-government US assistance, complicating procurement of essential drugs and health services:
      • “And overnight all these systems sort of crashed and the government…now has a really tough time to prioritize.” — Pooja Pandray [17:20]

5. The Bigger Picture: Shrinking Global Aid

• Global aid cuts are not limited to the US—other donor countries are also reducing their contributions.
• Philanthropy, no matter how generous, cannot fully replace large-scale governmental funding.
• As upcoming global health funding meetings loom in Johannesburg, the urgency of finding new solutions is highlighted.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impact of aid cuts:

  • “Every single one of them is facing a fiscal cliff…each one of these organizations…is making critical decisions of which teams they can keep on the ground and which projects they’ll actually be able to deliver.” — Sasha Gallant, PRO [18:26]

• On civil society resilience:

  • “We saw some projects that had to end well before.” — Sasha Gallant [18:54]

• On the limits of philanthropy:

  • “Philanthropy can't completely fill the gap, the question is, what will?” — Sam Fenwick [18:54]

Important Timestamps by Segment

• 02:32–06:18: Personal stories of Marciana and Beata in Rwanda, showing direct community impact of aid & entrepreneurial empowerment.
• 07:06–10:03: Political analysis with Matthew Bartlett on reasons for USAID shutdown.
• 12:05–13:09: Formation of Project Resource Optimisation and their triage of projects for emergency funding.
• 13:41–15:30: Accounts from donors; the "mystery donor" steps in to fund the rest of the projects.
• 15:52–17:57: On-the-ground view from Nepal; difficulties in health project continuity post-foreign aid.
• 18:26–18:54: Long-term challenges as aid organizations face uncertain futures.

Tone & Language

• The episode balances empathetic reportage from the field with brisk political and financial analysis.
• Interviewees’ voices are preserved in their own words, sharing both the practical and emotional stakes.
• Host Sam Fenwick's interviewing remains measured, inquisitive, and clear, providing context for global audiences.

Conclusion

In the wake of the US retreat from foreign aid, life-saving projects are on borrowed time, surviving thanks to fleeting philanthropic interventions and improvised rescue by professionals. The future of such programs—and the communities they serve—is deeply uncertain, as both governments and charities worldwide scramble to reimagine the system for an era of dwindling public support.

Note: The episode is the first of a two-part series on the future of global aid, with further exploration promised in the following installment.