The humanitarian landscape is facing unprecedented upheaval. USAID is under fire, with potential shutdown looming. Already, funds are frozen, programs canceled, and countless NGOs and the people they serve are left in limbo. Having spent years in both Silicon Valley and international development, I feel compelled to share my perspective.
The situation is already having cascading effects throughout the development world. All of us in development hear unsettling reports daily: Millions of dollars’ worth of food rotting in ports. Layoffs and the scattering of deep institutional knowledge. Entire programs being suspended. Rising community-level despair as funds, food, and medicine stop coming. If USAID's freeze continues long-term, the consequences will be profound. A potential black swan event.
As an American, I extend my deepest empathy to the thousands of organizations and millions of beneficiaries affected by this situation. While the future of USAID remains uncertain, the immediate impact is clear and devastating.
To support organizations and their work during this transition, Telerivet will waive its standard platform fees for the next 3 months for any NGO directly affected by the USAID funding freeze.
Contact us at support@telerivet.com to learn more, or click the button below.
My professional journey between Silicon Valley and international development has shaped how I see this situation. After studying Computer Science at Stanford, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tanzania, where I witnessed firsthand both the impact and challenges of foreign aid. I saw local organizations stretching limited resources to serve their communities. I felt the frustration of watching funding get diluted through layers of bureaucracy, and the anger of seeing when that funding fails to reach those who deserve it.
I also observed how American aid built genuine goodwill in even the most remote villages (and experienced firsthand how this goodwill kept me and other Americans safe). And, most important of all, I witnessed the human impact of the work: moments of relief that meant everything, joy that transcends language, the quiet mercy of dignity preserved.
I understand the criticism of foreign aid's inefficiencies. The system is far from perfect. The US Office of Inspector General has been highlighting concerns about waste, fraud, and corruption for years, and there is no shortage of empirical and anecdotal reports about the uncomfortable realities within international development. All of us who have spent time in the front lines of humanitarian work have at times come face to face with the question: Does the virtue and positive impact of this work outweigh its costs, trappings, and unforeseen consequences?
And if one wants to dig deeper, how do we then better measure the reach and effectiveness of programs in the last miles of civilization? How does one support and help optimize the worthwhile work?
These experiences and questions ultimately led us to co-found Telerivet in 2012. While we've expanded into many sectors, supporting humanitarian work has remained a core mission since day one. Enabling organizations to communicate easily, at scale, anywhere, with the people they serve.
Over the years, I've seen how development programs build schools, deliver essential goods, protect the environment, and save lives. I’ve seen the difference that a safe, new road can make in a local economy. I’ve seen how elevating libraries and after-school programs can be for entire generations. Necessary, real, impactful work being done within and by communities that care about making life better.
To quote President John F. Kennedy, whose leadership helped found USAID in 1961:
“Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children — not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women — not merely peace in our time but peace for all time."
To the NGO community: Your work matters now more than ever. While funding sources may shift, alternative paths will emerge. During this transition, clear communication with your communities and robust impact data will be crucial.
The path forward requires making development more efficient, impactful, transparent, and defensible. In doing so, we affirm aid's virtue and net value to humanity.