BHARATA BHARATI

Here are lists of USAID spending that have been highlighted in public complaints or discussions, based on recent web information. – Admin

• $1.5 million to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”
• $70,000 for the production of a “DEI musical” in Ireland. – $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam.
• $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia.
• $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru.
• $2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala
• $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt.
• Hundreds of thousands of dollars for a non-profit linked to designated terrorist organizations, even after an investigation was launched.
• $2 million + to EcoHealth Alliance, involved in research at the Wuhan lab.
• Funding for hundreds of thousands of meals that went to al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria.
• Funding to print “personalized” contraceptives birth control devices in developing countries.
• $16.8 million to support equitable outcomes in inclusion in Vietnam.
• $8.3 million for “equity and inclusion” education.
• $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists to avoid “binary-gender language.”
• $6.3 million to study men having sex with other men in South Africa.
• $20 million for producing an Iraqi version of Sesame Street.
• $520 million for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) consultants in Africa.
• $45 million for DEI scholarships in Burma.
• $2 million for Moroccan pottery classes.
• $2 million promoting tourism to Lebanon.
• Sent Ukrainians to Paris Fashion Week (specific amount not specified but highlighted for criticism).
• $200 million + of dollars to fund irrigation for the Taliban’s poppy fields.
• $50 million for condoms in Gaza.
• $30 million for South African HIV/AIDS programs, criticized for misuse or inefficiency.
• $25 million for green transportation projects in Georgia, mocked for suggesting Georgia needs Teslas.

These examples have been sourced from various news articles and posts on X discussing USAID spending, highlighting concerns over the allocation and oversight of these funds. – Mark Buffington on X, 7 February 2025

Here is another list:

• $37 million to the World Health Organization.
• $16 million in funding for institutional contractors in gender development offices.
• $4 million of funding for the Center for Climate-Positive Development.
• $12 million in support services to the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security.
• $6 million in non-emergency funding for redundant administrative supports for the Center of Excellence.
• $3 million in non-emergency funding to provide evaluation services for planning and learning programs
• $600,000 to fund technical assistance for family planning in Latin America – Extracted from  2KUTV, 5 February 2025

And another list:

• $446,000 for promoting atheism in Nepal.
• $20,600 for drag shows in Ecuador.
• $350 million for a pier in Gaza.
• $55,000 for a climate change seminar exclusively for female & LGBTQ journalists in Argentina. – Extracted from  News18, 7 February 2025

Aid to Soros’ foundations

Reports indicate that over the past 15 years, USAID granted more than $270 million to organisations affiliated with George Soros. One such organisation, the East-West Management Institute, partnered with Soros’ Open Society Foundations and received USAID funding. The revelation has fueled concerns over the US government’s role in international political movements. – Extracted from  Financial Express, 10 February 2025

USAID: Concerns for India – Nabaarun Barooah

India’s relationship with USAID is particularly relevant when discussing the agency’s potential dismantling.

India has long been one of the largest recipients of U.S. development aid. Between 2010-2011, the U.S. was responsible for over $650 million in aid to India, covering everything from health initiatives to education and disaster relief.

Given India’s strategic importance in the region and its growing influence on the global stage, USAID’s programs have been a cornerstone of bilateral ties between the U.S. and India in the past.

While many of these funds supported legitimate development work, there were concerns about the influence of foreign NGOs on India’s domestic politics, with some fearing that such organizations could undermine national sovereignty.

Critics pointed to instances where NGOs, particularly those funded by the U.S. such as the Joshua Project, collected sensitive data or promoted subversive agendas. This issue became more prominent in India as a growing number of local groups raised alarms about the potential political motivations behind such foreign-funded activities.

Another example is the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which received funding from USAID and has repeatedly targeted Indian business magnate Gautam Adani. Through its investigative reports, OCCRP has painted a picture of crony capitalism in India, attempting to link Adani’s rise to PM Narendra Modi, without presenting definitive evidence to back these claims.

Similarly, USAID is a partner of Freedom House, a global watchdog that has persistently criticized India’s democratic credentials. Year after year, Freedom House has downgraded India’s status, shifting it from a full democracy to an “electoral autocracy” in its annual rankings.

These moves, critics argue, are part of a broader attempt to set a narrative against India’s democratically elected government, painting it as authoritarian and undermining its legitimacy on the world stage.

This pattern of funding organizations that push political agendas makes USAID appear convincingly on the side which would prefer a colour revolution in India. – Extracted from  Swarajya, 5 February 2025

› Nabaarun Barooah researches politics, history, economy and writes opinions and columns in key national dailies.

Filed under: india, USA | Tagged: foreign aid, geopolitics, george soros, NGOs, USAID |