Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – A week has passed since President Donald Trump issued a broad executive order that stopped funding foreign aid initiatives to curb what Trump has described as “wasteful and fraudulent federal spending,”. As result, the United States is set to halt multiple development programs in The Gambia.

The decision follows recommendations by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, which criticized the projects as either unnecessary or misaligned with America’s national interest. The Gambia Journal delivers a special coverage of the affected programs and the impact of these cuts on various sectors of Gambian society, including governance, environment, healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

Grassroots Development and Women’s Economic Empowerment Cut

Among the affected programs is the U.S. Ambassadors’ Special Self-Help Fund, which provides small grants to community-driven projects.

Three initiatives under this program will be terminated. They are related to Fencing a Women’s Garden in Makka Balla Manneh Village ($7,000), Rehabilitating and Expanding a Vegetable Garden in Tuba Kuta Village ($7,080), as well as the program Providing a Perimeter Fence for Kombo Kerewan Jola Kunda Women’s Garden ($6,580).

DOGE dismissed these grants as “micro-level interventions with negligible impact” and argued that supporting small community projects abroad does not justify the use of American taxpayer funds.

Public Diplomacy Programs in The Gambia Scrapped

Two Department of State Public Diplomacy grants—one for an unnamed recipient in Bakau ($44,999) and another for visually impaired students in Brikama ($10,000)—have also been axed.

The former was aimed at influencing foreign perceptions of the U.S., while the latter sought to empower visually impaired high school graduates with computer and academic skills.

Additionally, DOGE has canceled a $15,000 Department of State award (2024) to an organization called The Hub Ltd., located at Kairaba Avenue, as part of the Public Diplomacy Programs. By giving them the tools and support to develop their self-confidence, leadership, and career decision-making abilities, the award seeks to empower female high school dropouts in the Gambia.

Another halted initiative is the Department of State grant (2024) to an organization named The Woman Boss, located at 78 Atlantic Boulevard, Fajara, as part of the US Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs Appropriation Overseas Grants.

The grant has a total value of $40,000 and is outlaid for $0 with the goal of assisting women entrepreneurs in the Gambia in their expansion and growth.

DOGE described these programs as “soft power vanity projects” with limited returns for U.S. strategic interests.

Media and Governance Programs Axed

A $75,000 contract with African Media Agency, LLC to develop a public relations and media strategy for the U.S. mission in The Gambia has been revoked.

DOGE argued that “messaging campaigns in small African nations serve no measurable benefit to the American public.”

Additionally, two $250,000 grants (totaling $500,000) from the Africa Regional Democracy Fund—one for Freedom House and another for Gambia Participates—have been scrapped. These programs were intended to strengthen civil society and democratic governance.

The Gambia Participates also may lose another funding program for a total of $25,000 to promote the “Here For You” campaign as part of the Department of State award (2024) for Public Diplomacy Programs.

The program aims at building disinformation and misinformation capability for researchers, journalists, and social media influencers in The Gambia.

However, DOGE dismissed them as part of “the failed nation-building experiments that have drained U.S. resources without tangible results.” DOGE argues that “Gambia’s progress under Barrow is real, but why fund their civil society when our own is drowning in debt? Cut the foreign aid slush fund and put America first“.

Refugee Assistance and Housing Support Eliminated

Funding to support refugee and asylum-seeker integration in The Gambia has been cut. Two grants under the Overseas Refugee Assistance Programs for Africa—one worth $24,970 for housing improvements in Karunor and another worth $24,653 for clean water and vegetable production at Sibanor Lower Basic School—have been terminated.

A separate $10,300 grant for refugee tailoring and clean water boreholes in Siwuol and Mandina will also not be renewed.

DOGE criticized these efforts, stating that “refugee assistance should be managed by regional actors, not American taxpayers.”

Malaria Prevention and Environmental Research Cancelled

The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), a $2.58 million USAID grant to Jhpiego Corp, was also axed. In line with The Gambia’s national malaria control strategy, the activity was to contribute to a measurable reduction in malaria mortality and morbidity in The Gambia.

DOGE questioned the cost-effectiveness of continued malaria aid, arguing that “health crises in foreign nations should not be America’s burden when local governments and private organizations can step up.”

Similarly, a $312,987 Department of the Navy grant for an expedition to study The Gambia’s mangrove ecosystem has been eliminated. The grant was destined for the organization Gaining Research Experience in Africa for Tomorrow Institute (GREAT), which is housed at Salameh Complex, Coastal Road.

DOGE labeled it as “scientific adventurism with no tangible return on investment for U.S. national security or economy.”

MCC’s Multi-Million Dollar Grants and Other Support Scrutinized

Two Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grants, worth $24.8 million and $24.86 million, were also put under review. The exact details of these grants remain classified due to privacy concerns, but DOGE has flagged them as “potential candidates for elimination.”

Another initiative that was terminated was the $894,692 Departmental Offices contract with Metrica, Inc. in 2024. $274,842 was sent to the Gambia as part of a global logistical support BPA for the Office of Technical Assistance budget team.

Musk’s Efficiency Push: America First, Foreign Aid Last

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency defended the cuts, arguing that they reflect a broader shift towards prioritizing domestic spending over foreign aid. “We are ending the era of reckless giveaways in the name of diplomacy,” DOGE stated. “Americans deserve to see their tax dollars used for their own benefit, not to fund obscure projects in distant countries.”

The Gambia, a country heavily reliant on international aid, is expected to feel the impact of these cuts in agriculture, public health, media, and refugee support.

While U.S. officials insist that the decision is about responsible fiscal management, Gambian stakeholders have warned that the abrupt withdrawal of funding could undermine grassroots development efforts and democratic governance in the country.