Trump bites OYO in the pocket
Namibian NGO Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO), which boasts 17 employees and uses arts to promote social awareness, has been severely impacted by a sudden USAID funding freeze, which American President Donald Trump implemented recently.
The organisation, like many NGOs in Namibia, relies heavily on donor support. While OYO has never received direct funding from USAID, it had contracts with institutions that do. When those institutions' funding was suspended, OYO’s income-generating projects consequently hit a snag.
"Overnight, the funding was frozen, and all institutions were asked to stop any spending," said founder and director of OYO, Philippe Talavera. "Since we had contracts with them, our funding was affected as well."
Ripple effect
According to Talavera, the freeze was prompted by an audit of USAID's foreign expenditures. However, as a subcontracted entity rather than a direct recipient, the NGO has little clarity on the situation or when funding may resume. In response, OYO has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bridge the financial gap and sustain its activities.
"We did not have a Plan B for such a situation," Talavera admitted. "With our board, we decided to appeal to the public for support during this period. Many people are friends of OYO, and we hope they can assist us in the coming months."
OYO’s work focuses on education and youth development. One of its key projects identifies at-risk learners in schools and connects them with counseling services to prevent dropouts.
"Any funds received will go toward such projects and will be audited at the end of the year to ensure they are used appropriately," Talavera assured.
Financial challenges
OYO is donor-dependent and does not generate income. "We are not-for-profit, which makes it difficult to cover costs. We don’t ask schools or communities for contributions, so we need sponsors to fund these services," Talavera explained.
Efforts to secure support from local businesses have faced challenges, as many companies are already overwhelmed with requests from multiple NGOs.
Despite these difficulties, OYO sees crowdfunding as an opportunity to involve the public in more ways than just financial contributions. "People can also volunteer their time and engage with what is happening around them," Talavera said. "Sometimes we live in our little bubbles and forget the bigger picture. Visiting an NGO and seeing its work firsthand can be eye-opening."
The NGO stressed the importance of maintaining a strong civil society in Namibia. "It is crucial that organisations, like ours, continue representing those who might otherwise go unheard," Talavera added.
OYO has made a significant impact over the years, reaching thousands of young people. "Last year alone, the OYO Dance Troupe engaged over 36000 people, while our Gender-Based Violence project reached 11800 individuals," Talavera shared. "Our counseling services also handled nearly 1500 cases," he told Namibian Sun yesterday.
OYO's film, ‘Lukas’ was also recently selected for the prestigious FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso, competing in the 'Semaine de la Critique' category. The FESPACO will be held over the weekend in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. FESPACO's 29th edition features 235 films from 48 countries, chosen from 1351 submissions.
The USAID funding freeze has affected multiple organisations in Namibia. As reported recently, the sudden halt in funding has left several NGOs struggling to maintain their operations, with many forced to suspend critical projects.
With no clear timeline provided for when funding might resume, OYO remains hopeful that alternative funding will be secured. "Invoices don’t stop piling up just because funding is frozen. We need creative solutions to navigate these months until we can resume our planned activities," Talavera concluded.
The organisation, like many NGOs in Namibia, relies heavily on donor support. While OYO has never received direct funding from USAID, it had contracts with institutions that do. When those institutions' funding was suspended, OYO’s income-generating projects consequently hit a snag.
"Overnight, the funding was frozen, and all institutions were asked to stop any spending," said founder and director of OYO, Philippe Talavera. "Since we had contracts with them, our funding was affected as well."
Ripple effect
According to Talavera, the freeze was prompted by an audit of USAID's foreign expenditures. However, as a subcontracted entity rather than a direct recipient, the NGO has little clarity on the situation or when funding may resume. In response, OYO has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bridge the financial gap and sustain its activities.
"We did not have a Plan B for such a situation," Talavera admitted. "With our board, we decided to appeal to the public for support during this period. Many people are friends of OYO, and we hope they can assist us in the coming months."
OYO’s work focuses on education and youth development. One of its key projects identifies at-risk learners in schools and connects them with counseling services to prevent dropouts.
"Any funds received will go toward such projects and will be audited at the end of the year to ensure they are used appropriately," Talavera assured.
Financial challenges
OYO is donor-dependent and does not generate income. "We are not-for-profit, which makes it difficult to cover costs. We don’t ask schools or communities for contributions, so we need sponsors to fund these services," Talavera explained.
Efforts to secure support from local businesses have faced challenges, as many companies are already overwhelmed with requests from multiple NGOs.
Despite these difficulties, OYO sees crowdfunding as an opportunity to involve the public in more ways than just financial contributions. "People can also volunteer their time and engage with what is happening around them," Talavera said. "Sometimes we live in our little bubbles and forget the bigger picture. Visiting an NGO and seeing its work firsthand can be eye-opening."
The NGO stressed the importance of maintaining a strong civil society in Namibia. "It is crucial that organisations, like ours, continue representing those who might otherwise go unheard," Talavera added.
OYO has made a significant impact over the years, reaching thousands of young people. "Last year alone, the OYO Dance Troupe engaged over 36000 people, while our Gender-Based Violence project reached 11800 individuals," Talavera shared. "Our counseling services also handled nearly 1500 cases," he told Namibian Sun yesterday.
OYO's film, ‘Lukas’ was also recently selected for the prestigious FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso, competing in the 'Semaine de la Critique' category. The FESPACO will be held over the weekend in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. FESPACO's 29th edition features 235 films from 48 countries, chosen from 1351 submissions.
The USAID funding freeze has affected multiple organisations in Namibia. As reported recently, the sudden halt in funding has left several NGOs struggling to maintain their operations, with many forced to suspend critical projects.
With no clear timeline provided for when funding might resume, OYO remains hopeful that alternative funding will be secured. "Invoices don’t stop piling up just because funding is frozen. We need creative solutions to navigate these months until we can resume our planned activities," Talavera concluded.
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