USAID funding cuts devastate education programs in Mali

In Mali, a country grappling with high levels of poverty and insecurity, significant funding cuts have been made to local literacy programs that played a crucial role in empowering the population. The cuts to the 'Shifin ni Tagne' project, which aimed to teach around 20,000 young Malians to read and write in their mother tongues, resulted in a substantial loss for the community. Aminata Doumbia, an 18-year-old participant, expressed her despair over the halted program, which she hoped would facilitate her dream of becoming a pastry chef. This situation reflects the dire educational landscape within a country where approximately 70% of the 22 million residents are illiterate and only 30% are educated in French, the official language. The importance of these literacy initiatives cannot be overstated, as they provided vital skills enabling many individuals, like Oumou Traoré, to improve their livelihoods through self-sustained businesses. Traoré, for example, utilized her training to enhance her farming practices, which had a positive financial impact. However, with the cessation of U.S. aid, the future of such educational programs remains uncertain. Analysts indicate that the vacuum created by USAID's withdrawal might pave the way for rival nations like Russia to gain influence in Mali, but experts are concerned that it will be challenging to replace the extensive support previously provided by USAID, which was Mali's primary development partner. The timing of these cuts, occurring mid-school year, exacerbates the negative consequences on the education sector, leaving a significant gap in resources for monitoring and evaluating ongoing projects.