Community Storytelling
Highlighting the lived experiences of foreign assistance professionals
We hope you enjoy this collection of podcasts, documentary films, photography exhibits, social media accounts, and written works, designed to inform and inspire audiences worldwide.
Listen
Unsung Americans
A weekly podcast about the frontline aid workers who delivered US foreign assistance and why it matters in plain English. With USAID recently dismantled, there has been confusion about what our government actually did around the world and how aid work shaped diplomacy and peace while also benefiting American interests. This show aims to educate the public on what exactly the work looked like from the people who did it.
Global Development Interrupted
Global Development Interrupted is a podcast about the people behind U.S. foreign assistance. When it was cut, the consequences were evident in offices closing, contracts being lost, and research being defunded—but also in lives being disrupted and communities left vulnerable. Through personal stories, the podcast shares the voices of those who dedicated their careers to global development, showing who they are, why their work mattered, and what was lost when support was withdrawn. It’s a space to hear the human stories behind the numbers and to understand why foreign assistance is still needed.
Deep Cuts
Deep Cuts is a podcast about the deep, sudden cuts made by the U.S. Federal Government in 2025 told by the people most affected by them. The first series will feature interviews with people who worked with or for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sharing stories about their work, career paths, and what inspired them to undertake a career of public service and humanitarian aid. Learn more about the programs that helped millions of people around the world on behalf of the American people for decades and the dedicated people who made them happen.
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Rovina’s Choice
Rovina’s Choice is a gripping short documentary that follows refugee mother Rovina Naboi in Kenya’s Kakuma camp as she struggles to keep her daughter alive amid the dismantling of USAID programs that once sustained her community. When critical U.S. aid is cut, families are forced to make impossible choices. Through Rovina’s story, the film exposes the far-reaching human impact of dismantled development efforts and the resilience of those left behind.
The Faces of Foreign Aid
This exhibit documents the stories of people whose lives have been forever changed by the kindness of Americans they’ve never met. Their stories landed on the desks of Congress, international aid organizations, and donors, but were seldom shared with the American people. This exhibit offers images and accounts that illustrate the impact of global aid efforts supported both directly and indirectly by the United States and its partners.
Friends of USAID
Join Friends of USAID on Instagram to explore inspiring stories, impactful initiatives, and the faces behind foreign assistance. With every post, they invite you to join in the remarkable journey of how American generosity transforms lives around the world, fostering connections and creating lasting impact. Discover behind-the-scenes glimpses, curated narratives, and updates that celebrate the spirit of and commitment to a better world.
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Center for Development History
The Center for Development History (CDH) is an initiative to capture and retain the lived experiences, lessons learned, and history of international development professionals who devoted the bulk of their careers to working with international NGOs, humanitarian relief organizations, firms, and universities.
The Center’s initial efforts focus on conducting oral history interviews with development practitioners, with the goal of making them publicly available to practitioners and researchers.
USAID Oral History Project
This oral history project documents a pivotal moment in the history of USAID and the changing landscape of humanitarian work. Through interviews with aid workers, officials, contractors, and research partners, it captures the experiences and reflections of those connected to USAID during a time of transition and uncertainty. The project will create an archival collection that preserves the voices, memories, and lessons of a community at the center of one of the most significant turning points in humanitarian aid.