Rotary and USAID

WHY DOES THE ELIMINATION OF THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) MATTER TO ROTARIANS
As many of you know, USAID officially ceased to be on July 1, 2025.. The abrupt cessation of our country’s international development assistance program has serious immediate and longer term national and global impacts. For instance, containing the spread of the current Ebola outbreak before it reaches our shores. But why did the work of USAID matter to U.S. Rotarians in particular?
1. How about USAID’s major role in addressing Rotary’s Areas pf Focus-Peace and Conflict Prevention; Disease Prevention and Treatment; Water and Sanitation; Maternal and Child; Basic Education and Literacy; and Economic and Community Development
2. How about USAID’s Hearts of Europe matching funds that bolstered many Rotary Global Grants in Ukraine.
3. How about showing the best face and values of Americans through trusted and committed partnerships.
Could USAID have done better or done more? Sure. Was USAID’s assistance cost-effective? Were our tax-payer’s dollars carefully watched over? Was the work of USAID worth it? Beyond a doubt.
If you or your club would like to get a ground-level view of how USAID assistance programs operated, contact Rob Thurston, Rotary Club of Corvallis, at robjant@comcast.net. Rob served with both the Peace Corps and USAID for over 25 years and is happy to share his field-level perspective with Rotary clubs.
For a sobering and alarming behind the scenes account of how USAID was dismantled, see Nicholas Enrlch’s Into the Wood Chipper available on Amazon.