Public universities in Malawi have ordered all students sponsored by USAID to drop out or seek other sources of funding if they want to remain in school.
This follows the 90-day freeze on U.S. foreign assistance recently announced by President Donald Trump. However, Malawi’s government says it is working to ensure that students can continue their education.
USAID has provided financial support to thousands of students in several Malawi universities, including the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mzuzu University, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and the Malawi University of Science and Technology or MUST.
James Mphande, the communications manager at MUST, said the U.S. foreign aid freeze is a big blow to several USAID-funded projects the school was implementing.
“And what it means now is that everything has been suspended,” he said. “So, if we were developing a curriculum, we can’t proceed. If we had some outreach activities, we can’t proceed. If we were in the process of making some procurements, we can’t proceed.”
He said some sponsored students may face the impact next semester.
“Fortunately, we are in the middle of a semester. So, probably fees or support for this semester was already sorted out. But for the upcoming semesters or years, it means the students will have to look elsewhere for support or they risk withdrawing,” Mphande said.
However, Patience Yamikani Chakwana, a beneficiary of USAID at MUST, told VOA that she is already feeling the impact. Chakwana, a first-year student in business information technology, said the foreign aid suspension was imposed before students received money for their daily upkeep.
“It was really unexpected. It was, like, we have just started school after a week, then we are getting the news,” she said. “At the time, we didn’t have the money, and the pocket money had not been given. … I heard the news while I was in class. I didn’t know what to do. That was the only hope I had.”
Chakwana said USAID was paying for her tuition and accommodation, as well as giving her money for groceries and the internet connection for her mobile phone. She said she now survives on money she borrows from friends.
Jessie Kabwila, Malawi’s minister of higher education, said the aid suspension is discouraging, but the Malawi government is working to find other sources to help students.
“We have engaged local partnerships that are in the private sector to see how they can help us. We have also engaged international partners. For example, we have got a standing agreement with the Republic of Morocco. We have also engaged the Czech Republic, and we will be engaging others, too,” Kabwila said.
Alexander Kude, deputy director for the Commonwealth Students Association, told VOA that the US foreign aid suspension should be a wake-up call for developing countries to start investing more in education and reduce overdependence on foreign aid.
“Look, the budget that the United States of America uses to fund us through USAID, it’s just a per cent of their money and budget. If you look how much that is and where they get it from, why not stand alone and do it ourselves?” Kude said.
The Trump administration says it imposed the 90-day freeze to review USAID spending and make sure it aligns with U.S. policy and interests. The freeze will extend through April 20.
It’s a very wake up call for countries depending on foreign aid to start spending internally.
This call will help curb the rampant corruption and waste of public resources, enforce budget cuts, prioritize critical and useful investment in relevant/core sectors, will help citizens to reckon love for their country/patriotism. Many thanks to Trump’s way of work.
Aaaaaah???
Who said those are students please?
I think we need to make sure we write and quote about we know.
Of the 5 main faces shown in the first image described as ‘Students at Malawi University of Science and Technology discuss artificial intelligence products, in this undated photo’ Only one is a student. I feel that it is very misleading to have someone else’s face tied to an article that has nothing to do with them.
I would suggest having a photo that is accurate to the story being told. And I am very sure that you don’t have consent from the people in that photo seeing as I am one of them.
Right Bosco. Many countries take this foreign aid for granted and even misuse it knowing more aid is coming. There are even instances where the donners are refused countability or have some of their people supervise these programmes. This money is tax from these countries nationals. From what I am reading it looks like we are going to have a tough time without it. This is a wake up call from Trump and he is right. Call him all sorts of names and all the insults and next thing there are cries every where
Pulling out USAID is ok but the problem is that it was too sudden. People needed to prepare for atleast a year. Unfortunately I don’t believe Trump understands how sensitive and vulnerable some of the projects are. It’s a good operation but unfortunately it can’t be handled the same way he handled his businesses.
Look at how everyone was celebrating when all illegal immigrants were being deported and now it seems the farms are empty and non of the Americans actually want those kinds of ‘jobs’. I’m looking forward to what next will be pulled out. I hope it’s diamond, and gold mines.
I don’t care whatever one makes of Trump AID Cut. I care that Americans can be this ungrateful to the contribution we have made to make them Rich; we slaved for years,we provide cheap labor for them, they steal our natural resources….
It’s America’s full responsibility to see us out of poverty no matter what!!!! Who promotes the dictators , the corrupt leaders? The west. They even allow them to invest in their countries! Who brought H.I.V? Do you cut support to your father because he’s mad?
Shame on Trump
They should apply for visas. There are some jobs where working visas would be granted easily such as farm workers and other sectors where they are needed but all they want is to have these people in the country legally getting rid of illegal criminals running there to mess up their country