Recently the President of the United States put a temporary freeze on all foreign aid, among other things.
I had heard the announcement but I didn’t think it affected me directly. It turns out I was wrong. My daughter has a medical mission to the Zulus in South Africa and she was there when the president’s executive order was implemented. It had a direct and immediate impact upon her and her care organization.
Here’s what she wrote in a letter to her supporters:
“Having recently arrived at Thembalethu offices for a support visit, I had held a very different ideas of what the week would hold. I was soon to learn that a US executive order took effect which forcing (nearly) all US foreign aid projects, including those currently underway, to immediately stop work. Never before has a US governmental order had such immediate, personal, unforeseen and potentially devastating consequences to Thembalethu’s staff and the broader Amangwe community.
“Monday morning, I jumped in to assist Xoli [her South African coordinator] in informing twenty of Thembalethu’s staff members that we are forced to [temporarily] lay them off with immediate effect. The US executive order directed a ‘temporary pause of all activities’ for a period of ninety days while the expenditures and projects are under review.
“And this is just the initial impact. Our USAID project was tasked with reducing the vulnerability of children to HIV and supporting HIV positive children and families. Yet, without staff or project expenses available, we have had to bring to all halt all project work, cancel planned workshops and HIV treatment support clubs with youth, and stop patient care without notice.
“In December alone, this project has assisted thousands of vulnerable children, including 573 children living with HIV as of last month. From Monday and for the next 90 days, their essential protective care and support have been dropped. The project has been that ensuring that vulnerable children are protected at home, protected from HIV infection, receiving routine medical care, have been tested for HIV, are attending school, and are generally receiving the resources and support they need to grow well and have a bright future. Without our assistance, these already vulnerable children are at much heightened risk of sexual abuse, HIV infection, failing health and even potentially death. And those are just a few of the impacts of the stop-work order on our community.
“On a larger scale in South Africa, the South African Department of Health has been receiving a sizeable portion of their HIV funding from US foreign aid. Nurses in our local Injesuthi clinic responsible for directly caring for patients with HIV are now sitting at home without pay instead of providing patient care. The community will immediately see the result in all HIV related services as they wait not just hours but days in which to see a nurse for their HIV check-ups. There has been no planned handover to the South African Department of Health to cover these gaps. Millions of South African lives which have been saved through US foreign aid to fight HIV, are now at tremendous risk with the unplanned ‘pause’ of these programs.
“But you can help us in bridging this big gap. Today we need your support more than ever before.
“This new development has opened up a gap of over $7,500 per month in our work to support vulnerable children with HIV. Please won’t you help us bridge this gap to help protect and care for the most vulnerable children in our community? From the US you can give a tax-deductible gift at ourhope.org.za/give. Together we can reach the most vulnerable. “
Gratefully Yours, Betsy Meyer/Our Hope South Africa Director”
Since Betsy wrote this, two federal judges have put a temporary stay on the executive order.
The order directly contravenes the checks and balances set up by the U.S. Constitution where only Congress has the “power of the purse”. The president has no authority to decide how and where federal money will be spent. If this executive order continues to be enforced, there is no point to having a Congress, since all federal income would be under the control of the president of the United States.
The future of foreign aid is in limbo for the foreseeable future.
Please consider coming to my daughter’s aid by contributing to her care organization in South Africa. How long before the contracted money gets restored depends on how long this order takes to wind its way through the courts. Please consider supporting her in the meantime.
Presidential decisions have far-reaching consequences, even in the southern tip of Africa.
Richard Elfers is a columnist, a former Enumclaw City Council member and a Green River College professor.