The recent pause on funding for the US Agency for International Development has led to the suspension of the Iftiin Peace Hub in Caabudwaaq, Somalia, according to architecture studio MASS Design Group.
MASS Design Group and the non-profit developer The Iftiin Foundation were told on 28 January to suspend work on the community centre that involved funds from the US Agency for International Development American Schools and Hospitals Abroad Program (USAID ASHA).
Expected to break ground in mid-February, the project was anticipated to cost around $1.5 million, $600,000 of which was a USAID ASHA grant that MASS Design Group was awarded in 2021.
“Losing USAID support is a setback”
The grant covered design fees and construction for the first phase of the project, whereas other parts of the project including on-site water access and irrigation are being covered by $58,000 from the Netherlands.
“Losing USAID support is a setback, but it does not define our future,” said Iftiin Foundation founder Mohamed Ali.
“We remain committed to empowering young people, proving that progress is possible even in the face of adversity.”
Iftiin Peace Hub was designed to provide counselling and vocational services to at-risk youths in Caabudwaaq in Somalia’s Galmudug region near the Ethiopian border.
The suspension of funds for the project comes after US president Donald Trump signed an executive order called Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, which stated that foreign aid from the US government is “in many cases antithetical to American values”.
“Assessing how to move forward”
The order involved a 90-day pause on foreign development assistance. It heavily affected USAID, with the review being carried out by the Department of State, led by former senator Marco Rubio.
“Reviewing and realigning foreign assistance on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is not just the right thing to do, it is a moral imperative,” said Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce
“The secretary is proud to protect America’s investment with a deliberate and judicious review of how we spend foreign assistance dollars overseas.”
Though a court has blocked the order, as of 10 February USAID staffers were barred from entering offices in Washington.
According to MASS Design Group, the involved groups are “assessing how to move forward without the critical funding for construction”.
The non-profit architecture studio has completed a number of projects in the area and has noted the importance of architecture projects in the region.
“The Iftiin Peace Hub in Somalia, in partnership with Iftiin Foundation, has been a validation of our commitment to deliver built work that can heal,” said Mass Design Group principal Anton Larsen.
“We are committed to our partners and the future of stability, growth and development across Africa, as illustrated by our more than 15 years of work on the continent.”
We recently rounded up five key projects by the studio.
The flurry of executive orders signed by president Trump in the first month of his administration has had wide-ranging effects, including on the architectural community.
In January, Trump signed an executive order promoting “beautiful” architecture, saying that classical and traditional styles were preferred for federal buildings.
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