DAR ES SALAAM: THE Coordinator of the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), Onesmo Ole Ngurumwa stated the detrimental results of foreign-owned human rights organizations have gotten evident as they battle to function following funding cuts or withdrawals by sure international locations.
Speaking at a gathering in Dar es Salaam on February 28, 2025, which introduced collectively varied leaders of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to debate methods to attain self-sustainability with out counting on overseas donors, Ole Ngurumwa famous that some philanthropic organizations within the nation have begun transitioning into native entities.
“All development projects in the country are owned by foreign organizations—projects in health, education, and governance are all managed by foreign entities. What are the consequences? We have started seeing them recently, for example, with Trump,” stated Ole Ngurumwa.
The Donald Trump administration’s determination to terminate 90 % of USAID’s overseas help contracts affected humanitarian initiatives worldwide.
Health teams, non-governmental organizations, and others who obtained cash from the U.S. help company to do good work had been bracing for dangerous information since President Donald Trump’s govt order froze the funding for a 90-day evaluate on January 20 this yr.
But even those that feared the worst have been shocked by the extent of the everlasting cuts introduced Wednesday, barely a month into the evaluate.
ALSO READ: ALSO READ: Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials say
Ole Ngurumwa additional emphasised that over 70 % of growth initiatives in Tanzania are applied by CSOs, however they proceed to face important monetary challenges. 90 % of the work completed by these organizations is carried out with out enough assets.
“Civil society organizations, particularly those working directly with communities, have faced many financial and capacity-related challenges. However, if you look at development projects and essential services provided to Tanzanians—such as fighting gender-based violence, legal aid, good governance, and human rights advocacy—most of these initiatives are carried out by CSOs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Remmy Lema, the THRDC’s Program Manager, highlighted that these organizations face quite a few operational challenges, notably in securing monetary assets, which has led to difficulties in sustaining their actions. This assembly, he defined, was organized to discover methods of mobilizing native assets.
“These institutions face various obstacles, with one major issue being the U.S. government, under Donald Trump, cutting a substantial amount of funds that were previously allocated through USAID. As a result, many organizations are struggling to sustain themselves,” Lema acknowledged.
He additional added, “As members of the civil society, we found it necessary to convene and strategize on how to generate local resources to reduce dependency on foreign donors.”
Dr John Kalage, Executive Director of Haki Elimu, expressed that the assembly supplied a chance to deliberate on methods to make sure that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) proceed executing their mandates by diversifying their earnings sources, even when overseas funding declines.
“We have come together to reflect on the direction of the resources we have been relying on to contribute to national development and how we can ensure that NGOs continue operating by seeking alternative revenue streams, which would make them more resilient even if external aid diminishes,” stated Dr Kalage.
He concluded by stating, “The decisions made by the U.S. government have forced us to run instead of walk. Organizations must recognize that foreign funding is decreasing and could eventually disappear altogether. It is, therefore, essential to acknowledge this reality and take action accordingly.”
The put up Trump’s aid cut deeply hits CSOs in Tanzania appeared first on Daily News.
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