Neat rows of desks are populated by adult students wearing identical orange jumpsuits. The class is listening intently to a math lesson, scribbling formulas on the paper in front of them. In the inmates’ hands are pencils and notebooks from MCC school kits.
Classes like these are part of a long-term MCC project in Zambia, supporting learning and peace training for prison inmates — giving hope and bright possibilities for future employment, reintegration and stability once they are released.
But, today, MCC’s partner in this work, the Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS), is facing a significant loss after the U.S. government drastically cut billions of dollars in U.S. foreign assistance that provided funding to international relief and development efforts around the world.
Cuts to U.S. foreign assistance won’t affect MCC’s projects with ZCS, but that funding was the source of many health care services for the inmates. Services like tuberculosis screening and prevention have been significantly reduced and essential testing equipment like laptops and lab equipment that were property of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were recalled.
These issues compound the human resource and staffing issues caused by the withdrawal of support, leaving emergency measures in place and an unsustainable amount of stress on the health care system for an already vulnerable population.
In response to the sudden and great needs that have been created in Zambia and many other countries, the boards of MCC Canada and MCC U.S. have agreed to release a combined CA$ 1,092,132 (US$ 765,356) over and above the already approved budgets to be distributed to MCC partners whose work would be affected by the cuts.
Rebecca Burkholder, MCC U.S. director of international program, says these funding changes will have a broad impact on the humanitarian and development sector.
“Many organizations, including some of our partners and other collaborators, depend on U.S. foreign assistance to provide essential services in vulnerable communities,” says Burkholder. “As an organization deeply committed to walking alongside communities in need, we grieve the suffering these cuts will cause. MCC will continue to prioritize our mission of relief, development and peace in the name of Christ, remaining steadfast in our partnerships and the work we are called to do.”
While none of MCC’s projects around the world have been directly financially impacted, many of our partners have been greatly affected by the cuts, including ZCS and Comision Accion Social Menonita (CASM), a long-time MCC partner in Honduras that serves migrants in the country.
The halt in financial support means CASM will lose critical funding for job training, psychological support and other responses to the growing needs of the already vulnerable migrant population. While the long-term impacts of these changes are still becoming clear, the strain on social stability and humanitarian relief efforts worldwide is likely to continue.
Despite MCC's commitment to adding additional budget in support of these efforts, this contribution is a small fraction of the billions of dollars previously provided by the U.S. government to nongovernmental organizations globally.
“The scale of this reduction, combined with sizeable cuts in support from other governments, will leave a devastating gap in humanitarian funding,” says Mark Epp, MCC Canada senior director of international program. “As a result, communities in need will face increasing hardships, and the long-term impact on their resilience and recovery will be felt for years to come.”
Effective international development and relief relies on the successful interaction between government, nonprofits and invested donors who give generously to fund this work says Epp.
“Thanks to our faithful donors, we’re able to bridge a small part of the gap and do our part as a member of the worldwide church, called by Christ to care for our brothers and sisters, whether close by or across the globe.”