The Audio Long Read ‘They take the money and go’: why not everyone is mourning the end of USAID
18 snips
Dec 1, 2025 The discussions delve into the impact of USAID cuts under Trump, highlighting reactions in Sierra Leone. Locals express resignation, viewing aid cessation as an ongoing issue rather than a sudden crisis. Personal stories reveal the complexities of foreign aid, from early encounters with Peace Corps volunteers to the chaotic aftermath of Sierra Leone's civil war. The tension between the need for aid reform and the harsh reality of abrupt cuts raises critical questions about dependency and effective support.
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US Aid Cuts Framed As Dependency Fix
- The Trump administration aims to dismantle USAID arguing aid fosters dependency rather than progress.
- Critics warn abrupt cuts risk immediate harms like lost medicines and increased deaths.
Resignation Over Panic In Sierra Leone
- Sierra Leoneans expressed resignation rather than panic at U.S. aid cuts, seeing precarity as normal.
- Mustafa Kaaba noted funding was so fragmented he couldn't tell what would be affected.
Stop-Start Aid Creates Job Instability
- An NGO driver lost and regained his job as donor money dried up and then briefly returned.
- He expected stop-start funding because he'd seen the same pattern since the 2014 Ebola response.