Cambodia (IECD – 15M; IPEA – 25M):
For years, USAID-funded scholarships helped build a digitally skilled Cambodian workforce by supporting tuition and essentials like laptops, dorms, and health insurance—especially for young women, rural students, and people with disabilities who would otherwise have no access to higher education. Now, that opportunity is disappearing. Ninety-three scholarships already awarded are being revoked, part of a broader freeze impacting 30 USAID contracts worth $260 million. Cutting these programs midstream doesn’t just waste resources—it devastates high-performing students from Cambodia’s poorest communities, many of whom will now be forced to drop out. This reinforces deep inequities—urban over rural, male over female, rich over poor—and closes doors for youth who had finally been given a chance.
Impact on Private Sector Partnership: And these USAID scholarships were implemented in cooperation with America's corporate partners, like Meta and Amazon Web Services (AWS), who are eager and working to expand their presence in Southeast Asia and with youth more broadly. If the U.S. is serious about business and regional partnership, pulling out of higher education is short-sighted at best, and self-defeating at worst.
Increasing Influence of China: And if the U.S. steps back, others step in. China, for one, is not shy about filling the space.
China has already publicly stepped in to continue USAID's literacy programs.) In 2024 alone, China granted full university scholarships to 200 Cambodian students, part of a steady and strategic soft-power competition campaign in the region.
China announced that it would be launching a partnership with UNICEF to improve quality inclusive education, health, nutrition, and hygiene for Cambodia’s most vulnerable children.
Based on the information provided in the press release, this new effort by China Aid seems to replicate the content of two RTI-implemented USAID programs that were recently terminated: the Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD – 15M) program and its Inclusive Primary Education Activity (IPEA – 25M). Together, IECD and IPEA were making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous by reducing poverty, building goodwill, and forming a strategic safeguard against Chinese influence in the geopolitically strategic country of Cambodia. The IECD Activity helped Cambodian children and families thrive by improving nutrition for young children, promoting agricultural practices that enhance community nutrition, improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices, facilitating screening and access to services for children with developmental delays or disabilities, and helping children meet critical developmental milestones. IECD focused on early childhood, with particular emphasis on the first 1,000 days (from conception to age 2). This project also decreased the risk of human trafficking of vulnerable children, thus cutting off funding sources for transnational criminal organizations – including organizations that traffic not only in humans but also fentanyl. IPEA supported the development and implementation of Cambodia’s reading program for grades 1-3, thereby expanding access to high-quality education for students nationwide, including children with disabilities. This programming was a force multiplier in the pursuit of sustainable economic growth, poverty alleviation, social stability, and participatory democracy. The China Aid launch event in Phnom Penh was held one week to the day after USAID canceled both projects.
In March 2025, the Trump Administration eliminated two U.S.-supported aid projects aimed at promoting childhood literacy and improving nutrition for children under five in Cambodia. Subsequently, China’s foreign assistance agency announced funding through UNICEF for comparable child education and nutrition programs. (Page 71 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
In Cambodia, China signed cooperation agreements spanning key sectors including energy, education, infrastructure, trade, connectivity and tourism. (Page 69 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
Indonesia ($5M)
In March 2025, the Trump Administration terminated a $5 million USAID award that had previously helped the Indonesian International Education Foundation (IIEF) secure $26 million in 2024 to send Indonesians to American universities. The first Trump Administration had supported this activity in 2020. Before its contract termination in March 2025, IIEF was confident it could substantially grow the pipeline of Indonesian students sent to the United States. As a result of the Trump Administration’s foreign assistance freeze, Indonesian scholars had their scholarship plans abruptly disrupted, including a student planning to pursue a doctorate at the University of Rhode Island. Meanwhile, China aggressively recruits Indonesian students to its universities through its “Study in China” initiative, contributing to more than 10,000 Indonesians who study in China each year. (Annex Page 3 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
Honduras ($8M):
Project Name: Early Childhood Education for Youth Employability (ECEYE)
Termination Status: Terminated
Description: in partnership with the Honduran Ministry of Education and the private sector, the ECEYE activity aimed to improve the quality of pre-primary education for young children between the ages of 3 to 6 in Honduras. As a result of the termination, more than 100,000 young children won’t benefit from the intervention. The activity was also going to improve employability and economic status for 25,000 young mothers and fathers (while also providing them with quality childcare opportunities), addressing one of the drivers of irregular migration.
West Bank and Gaza ($49M):
Project Name: Basic Education Activity (BEA)
Termination status: Terminated
Description: The Basic Education Activity (BEA) worked closely with local organizations and stakeholders to strengthen non-governmental education services and improve the wellbeing and learning outcomes of children in kindergarten through grade 6.
U.S. Strategic Objectives: the activity supported the resumption of social services in Gaza, and the use of education as a means to increase stability and mitigate violent extremism, while providing access to important psychosocial support for children coping with the negative impacts of disaster and conflict.
Implementing partners: Creative Associate International (MD) and local implementing partners.
Uzbekistan ($25M):
Termination Status: Terminated
As part of longstanding U.S.-Uzbekistan education cooperation, two critical initiatives—in-service training for 200,000 teachers and updated materials for 27,000 future educators—are now at risk due to project suspensions. If in-service training is halted, 40,000 teachers will miss essential professional development, directly impacting the quality of instruction for millions of primary school children. Delays in updating pre-service curricula jeopardize the training of future teachers, threatening the long-term quality of education across the country.
Cutting these programs weakens children’s learning outcomes and undermines reforms designed to raise educational standards. It also damages U.S. credibility and leadership in a key strategic region.
When we pull back from successful partnerships, we leave a vacuum that others will fill—making America weaker, not stronger.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):
Termination Status: Terminated
Jennifer, a USAID colleague, was stationed overseas with her colleagues to promote access to education amongst the highly fragile and conflict-ridden DRC. Just one day after the global stop work order was issued (January 25, 2025), Rwandan-backed militants overtook the capital city and displaced upwards of 10,000 people. In regular circumstances, Jennifer and her team would launch into action to provide services to the youth impacted by this conflict, youth that are particularly vulnerable to forced military service, forced child labor in nearby mines, gender-based violence, and other horrors of conflict. Instead, Jennifer and her team were forced to wait for waivers that never came – to date, none of the education programming operating prior to January 24th in the DRC has resumed. This is a missed opportunity to provide life-saving assistance and ensure the next generation of children in the DRC are able to pursue bright futures rather than succumb to extremism and worse, outcomes that will impact regional security and could lead to increased US military presence in the future.
Nigeria:
Termination Status: Terminated
Inclusive Development Partners (IDP) is a Kansas-based, women-owned small business that, until recently, partnered with USAID to institutionalize best practices related to inclusivity in education, particularly for children with disabilities, all around the world. In Nigeria, for example, IDP worked to ensure that out-of-school children – many of whom have disabilities – were finally reached with educational opportunities to ensure these otherwise overlooked youth were able to gain foundational skills, including literacy, numeracy, and social and emotional skills, in order to progress to higher levels of education, training and/or engagement in the workforce. This program not only was life changing for the children beneficiaries, their families, and their communities, but also decreased the risk of destabilizing factors like human trafficking and extremist recruitment – both of which are key to American interests in maintaining stability in Nigeria and the broader region.
Algeria (1.2M):
The suspension of the WE2-Design Program in Algeria has blocked 800 women and youth in eight communities from launching small businesses that respond to local economic needs.
This makes America less safe: Algeria borders unstable regions where extremist groups operate. By cutting off economic opportunities, we leave vulnerable populations exposed to terrorist recruitment tactics based on financial desperation. Fewer options for youth means more openings for extremism.
This makes America weaker: The U.S. exit leaves a vacuum that China and Russia are eager to fill. Abruptly halting support damages trust, undermines U.S. credibility, and reinforces authoritarian influence in a strategic region.
This makes America less prosperous: A stable, growing Algerian economy creates future markets for U.S. businesses in energy, infrastructure, and tech. Without engagement, China will continue locking the U.S. out of valuable opportunities.
In short, ending this program doesn’t just hurt local women and youth—it harms U.S. security, economic competitiveness, and global leadership.
Zambia (50M):
Termination Status: Terminated
After four years of progress transforming pre-service teacher training in Zambia, the project’s final and most critical phase—transferring leadership to the Ministry of Education—has been halted due to the foreign aid freeze. This puts the literacy gains of thousands of Zambian children at risk. Without trained teachers, students are less likely to learn to read, increasing dropout rates and perpetuating poverty.
This makes America less safe: A generation of Zambian youth growing up without basic literacy weakens economic prospects and heightens the risk of social instability, which extremist groups can exploit—undermining regional and global security.
This makes America weaker: By walking away at the handover stage, the U.S. breaks trust and loses influence in Zambia, where China remains a visible and reliable partner. It signals to our allies that U.S. commitments can vanish overnight.
This makes America less prosperous: Stalled education reforms mean higher unemployment in Zambia and fewer future markets for U.S. trade and investment. A more educated Zambia benefits global stability and creates economic opportunity for both countries.
This funding pause threatens not just a project, but the future of Zambian children—and America’s role as a trusted global leader.
Malawi (15.6M):
Termination Status: Terminated
All USAID programming in Malawi—including the STEP teacher training initiative—has been abruptly halted, leaving 90,000 primary school teachers without essential training in early-grade literacy and numeracy. This directly harms millions of Malawian children, who will now continue to receive poor-quality instruction. Without basic reading skills, students are more likely to drop out, fall into poverty, or become vulnerable to exploitation.
This makes America less safe: By walking away from foundational education, we forfeit a key tool for building stability in Southern Africa—opening space for extremist groups to exploit vulnerable youth and further destabilize the region.
This makes America weaker: The sudden termination of programs has damaged U.S. credibility. Local leaders now say China keeps its promises while America walks away. China’s airport road is on time and visible—U.S. education programs have vanished.
This makes America less prosperous: A poorly educated workforce limits Malawi’s economic growth and future trade potential. And with no active programming, U.S. companies lose the chance to introduce educational tools and technology, ceding influence to competitors.
In short, ending this program doesn't just hurt teachers and children—it harms America's global reputation, weakens our alliances, and limits future economic opportunity.
South Sudan ($43M)
Project Name: USAID South Sudan Youth Empowerment Activity
Termination Status: Terminated
The USAID Youth Empowerment Activity (YEA) reached 20,500 out-of-school youth in South Sudan, providing literacy, numeracy, health education, and business skills—especially for young women who made up 62% of participants. Despite operating in one of the world’s harshest environments, YEA empowered youth to read for the first time, launch businesses, and lead in their communities. Yet, just 2.5 years into a 4-year plan, the program was terminated. Cutting this program denies thousands of young people the chance to read, earn, and lead, leaving them vulnerable to poverty, exploitation, and instability.
This makes America less safe: Youth without education or economic opportunity are more likely to be exploited by violent or extremist groups, fueling insecurity in a fragile region.
This makes America weaker: The U.S. walked away midstream. China and other powers now appear more reliable partners in the eyes of local communities.
This makes America less prosperous: We’ve lost the chance to support a rising generation of entrepreneurs, workers, and future partners—limiting long-term economic and diplomatic opportunity.
Ending YEA didn't just end a program—it ended opportunity for thousands of youth who saw education as their way forward.
Tibet ($40M)
Termination Status: Terminated
In March 2025, the Trump Administration terminated approximately $40 million in support for ethnic Tibetans in exile, including $2 million to promote education among Tibetan children. USAID has also supported Tibet’s government in exile’s ability to push back against China’s propaganda. The Chinese government has led a decades long crackdown on independent voices inside and outside of Tibet. As recently as June 2025, IBM reported that Chinese-affiliated actors were leading a hacking campaign to spy against Tibetan groups in the lead up to the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday on July 6. (Page 74 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
The Gambia ($25M)
In December 2024, MCC selected The Gambia as eligible to develop a compact based in part on its performance under its $25 million threshold program. The compact would address economic underutilization of the Gambia River for transport and tourism and low enrollment and poor quality of education. In a June 2025 briefing, MCC informed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff that development plans for this compact have been placed on hold due to the Trump Administration’s foreign assistance review. Meanwhile, China continues to build infrastructure around The Gambia River, including announcements in August 2024 that they would construct two bridges to boost transportation. (Annex Page 15 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
Africa:
At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China announced it would establish an alliance of Chinese and African hospitals that includes joint medical centers to elevate China-Africa health cooperation. Beijing announced that it would provide training for 100 African medical professionals and support the development and operation of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters and its sub-regional centers. China will also provide Africa with approximately $840 million in military grant support to strengthen African armed forces, train 6,000 African military personnel and invite 500 African military officers to undergo training in China. Beijing will also train 1,000 police enforcement officers across the continent. Lastly, Beijing will provide “Chinese language plus vocational skills” education in Africa, roll out Chinese-language workshops and train African personnel with Chinese language proficiency and vocational skills. (Annex Page 7 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
Global:
Makes drastic cuts to U.S. humanitarian and food assistance: The Trump Administration’s FY 2026 budget request proposes cutting lifesaving humanitarian assistance by 61%. These cuts would eliminate the procurement and delivery of U.S.- grown food aid. The proposal would also terminate international food assistance programs, including Food for Peace, Food for Progress, and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education programs that purchase millions of tons of commodities from American farmers such as wheat, rice, beans and sorghum. Meanwhile, as China continues to develop its own foreign assistance capabilities, it is gaining ground by attempting to recreate U.S. assistance programming. (Page 19 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
The Trump Administration’s FY2026 budget request would eliminate Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) funding by 93%. Instead of offering an alternative to programs it disagrees with, the Trump Administration is choosing to abandon decades of U.S. cultural and educational leadership and cede these opportunities to Beijing. (Page 50 of the Committee on Foreign Relations Report – “The Price of Retreat: America Cedes Global Leadership to China”)
