A network of STEM academies once held up as a model for modern education is unraveling after the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. support, exposing the fragility of reforms built on external expertise.

Photo Credit: Thomas Cristofoletti / USAID

The sudden withdrawal of U.S. funding stalled youth employment programs, cut counseling services, and pushed community organizations into survival mode. For young people navigating unemployment, addiction recovery, and poverty, the consequences were immediate.

Photo Credit: Linda Mujuru/ Devex