Recorded February 2025: In this episode, Funding With Trust Founder Eve Omala speaks with Sustainable Development Consultant Fiona Byarugaba about the far-reaching consequences of major funding shifts. With USAID’s stop-work order, the UK’s aid budget cuts, and shifting donor priorities, global development is at a crossroads.

Key highlights

• • Across multiple regions, thousands of frontline workers face job losses, threatening essential health programmes.
  • In Uganda, 2 million people risk losing access to HIV treatment due to reduced funding.
  • Communities are innovating and adapting to sustain life-saving initiatives despite funding shortfalls.

  
  

  Top insights from this episode

  1. Rethink funding models by reducing dependence on single sources.
  2. Listen to those on the ground; their solutions are key to long-term change.
  3. Build resilience and move beyond reactive policies to lasting impact.

  
  

  This is just the beginning of a series of conversations on how philanthropy can shift from crisis-driven funding to sustainable, community-led solutions.

  
  

  We’d love to hear your thoughts! Send us a note at hello@fundingwithtrust.org and subscribe for more thought-provoking conversations.

  
  

  Resources

  • Nearly US$60 billion in USAID money is frozen
  • Impact of Stop Work Orders for PEPFAR Programs
  • What USAID shutdown means for Uganda
  • 12.6 million Malaria cases reported in Uganda