US government terminates almost 7 million US dollars of FCA grants
The US government has terminated all funds provided by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to FCA, representing nearly 10 per cent of FCA’s global budget.
“We must understand that this is now not only about money but literally about the world we want to live in.” – Tomi Järvinen, FCA Executive Director.
OVER 209,000 refugee schoolchildren are at risk of losing their access to education, after US support to FCA projects in Kenya and Uganda was terminated, representing a loss of 6.95 million USD or 10 per cent of FCA’s global budget.
FCA were recently informed of the decision to terminate funding by the US State Department, following a notice of a funding freeze the previous month. Many other international aid organisations are receiving similar letters.
The impacts are severe. FCA’s US-funded LEARN project in Uganda, and RISE project in Kenya, supported children and youth with school supplies, mental health support, safe learning spaces, menstrual hygiene support, and specialised support to children with disabilities, like assistive devices and trained teachers. Meanwhile, the regional PATH project in both countries provided skilling and training programmes for youth seeking employment. These programmes have now all ceased.
Over 150 jobs affected – more expected
151 FCA staff and teachers in both countries are affected, of which 102 have already been laid off or lost their jobs. Further effects are expected on staffing levels globally, as operational budgets are also affected negatively to an expected 1 million euros.
Executive Director, Tomi Järvinen, stresses the knock-on effect of these decisions:
“FCA has a diverse range of donors, but it is an inescapable fact that the US is the largest single donor of global aid, contributing $72 billion in assistance in 2023. Furthermore, its funding supports many multilateral systems and UN agencies.
A termination of US aid has a ripple effect on humanitarian projects worldwide, destabilising vulnerable communities. The effects on UN agencies can have significant consequences on FCA, as many of our projects are funded by UN organisations such as UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, UN Women and UN OCHA.”
Ripple effects will lead to reversal in progress
The impacts beyond the classroom are also devastating. Without adequate funding, FCA and other organisations can no longer secure the safety, protection and wellbeing of children as well as the wider refugee and host communities and can no longer provide lifesaving education and livelihoods support to these populations.
Entire communities of children and young people now face immediate safeguarding risks, such as teenage pregnancy, forced marriage or suicide, and are at increased risk of dropping out of school. To further compound this, the termination of awards come at an increasingly difficult time, especially with increasing new refugee arrivals escaping the current ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and immediate threats from the Ebola and MPox viruses in Uganda especially.
“The termination of our two grants will significantly impact our programmes,” says FCA Uganda Country Director Wycliffe Nsheka. “Over the past two months, as funds were frozen, our operations in refugee settlements have faced severe disruptions. Key activities, including emergency learning spaces, provision of education materials, teacher salaries, and the distribution of scholastic materials, have been halted.
In the various settlements, essential education initiatives have been suspended, worsening the teacher-learner ratio from 1:57 to 1:86, and resulting in a 40% increase in school fees. This escalation will inevitably reduce learner enrollment. Without urgent intervention, the long-term impacts could reverse the progress we have made in education and child protection services.”
According to John Bongei, FCA’s country director in Kenya, the termination has significantly disrupted education in Kalobeyei settlement-Kenya, affecting over 35,836 learners across 10 schools. One of the most immediate impacts has been the non-payment of 58% of teachers, including 120 refugee teachers and 49 national teachers, leading to increased absenteeism and a decline in teaching quality.
“The funding termination has created an unprecedented crisis in Kalobeyei-Kenya refugee settlement, threatening the educational future of thousands of refugee children. Without immediate support, we risk not only the closure of schools and the loss of teachers but also the well-being of an entire generation. This funding is crucial to ensuring that children continue to access the quality education they deserve and that the community’s resilience is not further eroded,” he says.
Entire communities affected
Other education projects in Kenya and Uganda’s refugee settlements will continue, thanks to donors such as the European Union, but the need is great. FCA is one of 99 signatories to a recent open letter to decision makers in the European Union and member states to step up support via VOICE, the largest European humanitarian NGO network.
According to the letter: ‘The US decision is unprecedented in scale, form, and impact, and is part of a worrying long-term trend. The gap between humanitarian needs and available funding has more than tripled from $8.4 billion in 2016 to $26 billion in 2024, due to a massive increase in needs and, more recently, significant funding cuts from multiple donors, including European States.’
But at heart, adds Järvinen, it’s not just about money:
“We must understand that this is now not only about only but literally about the world in which we want to live. Is this a world where every person has equal value? If so, we must share resources with the most vulnerable: those who cannot defend themselves; victims of conflicts; and natural disasters.
Now, more than ever, we call on other international donors, including the European Union, the Finnish government and the emerging donors like the Gulf countries to increase their contribution. We also appeal to for private donations to continue the work.”
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You can support FCA’s work by donating directly here.
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For further information contact:
FCA Executive Director Tomi Järvinen
tomi.jarvinen@kua.fi
+358 40 641 8209.
FCA Kenya Country Director John Bongei
John.Bongei@kua.fi
+254 73 374 8355
FCA Uganda Country Director Wycliffe Nsheka
Wycliffe.Nsheka@kua.fi
+256 77 296 1551
FCA Manager of International Communications Ruth Owen
Ruth.Owen@kua.fi
+358 50 409 7848