The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which is in the eye of the storm after being ordered to freeze funding while the government assesses its activities, has its footprints in Meghalaya.
The project most recently launched is the Women’s Health and Livelihood Alliance (WOHLA), a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to empower women in underserved communities across India by addressing the intersecting aspects of their health and economic well-being.
By ensuring access to quality healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health services, WOHLA is meant to enable women to make informed decisions about contraception and supports their participation in the labour force.
Key goals include enhancing financial and digital literacy, generating livelihood opportunities and increasing access to sexual and reproductive health information, services and products.
It was launched in March 2024 and USAID partnered with Samhita’s Collective Good Foundation for its implementation. However, with the shutdown of USAID, it is still unclear what will be the fate of this project in the state.
Other USAID projects have previously operated in Meghalaya. The MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity Project ran from 2021 to 2023 to support India’s rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine. This project was entrusted to John Snow India Pvt Ltd (JSIPL) by USAID.
Another project was the Partnership Project on Developing Resilient Cities through Risk Reduction in the context of Disaster and Climate Change that was implemented in six cities across India, including Shillong.
This time-bound project ran from 2016 to 2020 and was implemented by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), East Khasi Hills, and monitored by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
The overall goal of this project was to reduce the natural disaster vulnerability of urban populations, infrastructure, lifeline and shelter facilities through risk sensitive planning.
