Additional Context: Implemented by Chemonics since 2022, Next Generation Early Grade Reading, or NextGen, worked toward bringing 30% of all second grade students in the country to a grade-level reading proficiency in Chichewa, as well as improve English reading outcomes overall. The program was planned to run until 2027, with a budget of $75 million. When the project was terminated, $39.6 million had been spent. According to the European Training Federation, Malawi may experience setbacks not just due to the loss of USAID-funded programs, but from USAID's leadership role in the coordination with other donors working to inprove educational outcomes in the country.

Devex Researcher Note: Malawi was the fifth largest recipient of USAID education grants in the three years prior to the agency's dissolution. As of January 2024, around 89% of children in Malawi were unable to understand age-appropriate text by the age 10.

Source: European Training Foundation