When US President Donald Trump rolled out his America First health and development agenda, many feared Africa would pay the price. In 2025, those fears have become reality. Washington has slashed funding for HIV/AIDS programmes, maternal health, and disease surveillance networks across the continent. The message from the White House is simple—America’s needs come first.
While the move may resonate with US voters skeptical of globalism, in African capitals and aid circles it has sparked anxiety about the fragility of international support systems. More troubling, the cuts expose what many African activists have long argued: that global aid, as it stands, was never built for true resilience. If one donor’s decision can destabilise entire health systems, perhaps the model itself was flawed from the start.
A Protest That Speaks Volumes
This year’s UN General Assembly was expected to bring together world leaders as usual, but one familiar face was missing. A young refugee, who had addressed the UN four years in a row, deliberately stayed away. Their absence wasn’t about scheduling—it was a protest.
Having fled war and spent 11 years in Kenya’s Kakuma camp, they grew weary of being showcased as an “inspiring reminder” for applause, only to see leaders return to policies that fuel more conflict. Their decision captured the frustration of millions still trapped in cycles of displacement and dependence.
Aid Dependency Under Strain
For those who lived in Kakuma, international aid never transformed life. The refugee recalls worsening conditions year after year despite billions poured into the system. Their question cuts deep: “When was our situation ever better?”
Trump’s cuts make the critique unavoidable. Programmes like PEPFAR have kept clinics alive in places like rural Zambia or malaria zones in Nigeria. Yet their sudden reduction shows how fragile it is to depend on one country’s political winds. For many, the real issue isn’t just the cuts—it’s the dependency itself.
Local Voices, Global Stakes
The refugee argues for a radical rethink: empower local organisations to design solutions, push African governments toward fair trade and industrialisation, and break free from donor dependency. Economists back this view, warning that aid-heavy systems weaken accountability by making governments answer to donors instead of their own people.
They also point to the root causes often ignored—wars, economic exploitation, and global trade imbalances. As the refugee put it: “We don’t have a refugee crisis—we have a war machine problem.”
A Wake-Up Call for Africa
Trump’s policy shift may force African leaders to act. With aid shrinking, countries may need to double down on self-reliance—investing in local industries, building stronger tax systems, and harnessing initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area. Progress is uneven, but momentum is building in places like Ghana and Rwanda, where governments are focusing on value-added industries and agricultural reforms.
Meanwhile, some humanitarian groups are experimenting with new models—direct cash transfers, partnerships with African start-ups, and bypassing bloated international bureaucracies. Still, these remain too small to match the scale of need.
The Bigger Picture
The refugee’s message is blunt: no more speeches, no more empty conferences. The world must support local leadership, reform global trade, and address the wars fueling displacement. Until then, their absence from UNGA will stand as a powerful symbol of disillusionment with a system that has failed to deliver real change.
For Africa, Trump’s America First may be painful, but it could also be the wake-up call to finally break free from dependency and chart a path built on self-determination.
