🔗 Share this article

They describe themselves as the "salvage squad". Following their sudden termination when overseas aid was slashed earlier this year, a collective of committed workers decided to establish their own rescue package.

Choosing not to "remain in despair", an ex-staffer, along with equally dedicated former agency staff, began actions to rescue some of the essential projects that were threatened with termination after the cuts.

At present, close to 80 initiatives have been rescued by a matchmaking service run by Rosenbaum and additional ex- team members, which has found them in excess of $110 million in new funding. The group behind the Pro initiative projects it will help forty million people, including many young kids.

Following the termination of operations, financial flows stopped, thousands of employees were laid off, and global initiatives either stopped abruptly or were struggling toward what Rosenbaum describes as "termination points".

He and a few co-workers were reached out to by a foundation that "wanted to understand how they could maximize the impact of their limited resources".

They developed a menu from the cancelled projects, pinpointing those "offering the most vital support per dollar" and where a alternative supporter could feasibly intervene and maintain operations.

They quickly understood the need was more extensive than that first foundation and commenced to approach other potential donors.

"We referred to ourselves as the rescue team at the start," explains the leader. "The organization has been collapsing, and there aren't enough emergency options for each programme to board, and so we're attempting to literally save as many young children as we can, secure spots for these lifeboats as attainable, via the projects that are offering assistance."

The initiative, now operating as part of a research organization, has garnered backing for numerous programmes on its roster in more than 30 countries. Several have had prior support reinstated. Several others were unable to be rescued in time.

Funding has come from a combination of charitable organizations and private benefactors. Many prefer to stay unnamed.

"The supporters come from very different motivations and viewpoints, but the common thread that we've encountered from them is, 'People are horrified by what's unfolding. I sincerely wish to find a method to intervene,'" explains the economist.

"I think that there was an 'lightbulb moment' for everyone involved as we began operating on this, that this created an possibility to shift from the passive sadness, remaining in the distress of everything that was happening around us, to having something productive to fully engage with."

One project that has obtained backing through Pro is work by the Alliance for International Medical Action to provide services encompassing care for malnourished children, maternal health care and essential immunizations for kids in the country.

It is vital to keep such programmes going, states the economist, not only because resuming activities if they ceased would be extremely costly but also because of how much trust would be forfeited in the zones of instability if the organization left.

"Alima informed us […] 'there is fear that if we depart, we may be unable to return.'"

Projects with extended objectives, such as strengthening health systems, or in other fields such as schooling, have not been part of the initiative's scope. It also is not trying to save the projects indefinitely but to "provide a buffer for the organizations and, frankly, the wider community, to figure out a longer-term solution".

Now that they have obtained backing for every initiative on its first selection, Pro says it will now prioritize helping additional individuals with "proven, cost-effective interventions".