A visually impaired consultant on a terminated U.S.-funded primary literacy project said: “For the past few weeks, I have experienced the pain of losing a job, and it has been incredibly stressful. This situation could have been manageable if I had received prior notification instead of my job being turned off abruptly, like flipping a switch.”
Date: 3/25
Region: Africa
Country: Malawi
Topic: Economy & Livelihoods, Gender Equality & Inclusion
Policy Lens: Moral Leadership
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Stuart Chauluka, who worked as a disability and accessible education consultant for Inclusive Development Partners on the Next Generation Early Grade Reading, or NextGen, USAID project in Malawi. Chauluka mentions significant concerns in his ability to reenter the job market and provide for his family in the future.
Devex Researcher Note: The program was planned to run until 2027 with a budget of $75 million. When the project was terminated, only $39.6 million had been spent. The Malawian labor market is largely informal, with most workers engaged in low-added value activities and only 10.3% holding permanent jobs. For persons with disabilities, the situation often is even more difficult. According to the 2018 census, only 13.1% of people with disabilities had any form of formal or informal employment.
Source: Inclusive Development Partners