A men’s health clinic in Johannesburg is preparing to close its doors on Tuesday due to a freeze on U.S. foreign aid funding.
It was a somber scene at the Engage men’s clinic as movers filled a large auction truck with furniture and various office supplies.
The organization, funded by USAID and Pepfar, offered comprehensive HIV treatment services to the LGBTQI+ community.
With the clinic’s closure, there are growing concerns about how community members will access the essential services and treatments they need.
Engage plans to auction off its assets to recover some funds to compensate the more than 70 employees who are now unemployed.
Joseph Adams, project manager of the OUT-LGBT Wellbeing program representing Engage Men’s Health clinic, noted that staff members were placed on unpaid leave in January when the Trump administration suspended all Pepfar funding.
These workers will now join the millions of South Africans facing challenges in securing employment.
“We have clinicians, support staff, and administrative personnel who come here daily. This is their livelihood, and it represents their aspirations,” he emphasized.
“Informing them that they no longer have jobs is a tough situation,” he added.
The freeze on U.S. foreign aid under the Trump administration has also prompted numerous United Nations organizations to reduce staff, budgets, and services in various regions, including Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond.
