For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) stood as a beacon of hope, delivering educational opportunities to children and adults across the globe. 

Established during the Kennedy administration, its mission was clear: to advance global stability by empowering individuals through education. Yet, its abrupt closure in early 2025 marked an unsettling turning point, one that sent ripples far beyond American shores, leaving countless education programmes worldwide struggling to survive.  

In sub-Saharan Africa, USAID had been instrumental in transforming communities. Consider Mali, where the agency championed literacy initiatives, teaching nearly 20,000 citizens not just to read and write in their native languages but also to acquire valuable vocational skills.

With the closure of USAID, these life-changing programmes vanished almost overnight, leaving a  troubling void in adult education and community development.