Cecilia Thiam, Humanitarian Aid Worker Whose World Changed After Trump Gutted USAID

About this episode

Cecilia Thiam discusses the impact of USAID cuts on her career and personal life after the Trump administration's changes.

Today I’m bringing you my interview with Cecilia Thiam, a 35-year-old Swiss-American humanitarian aid worker who has spent most of her career living and working in sub-saharan Africa. She lost her job after the Trump administration enacted sweeping cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Now, she has had to scrap her plans, move to a new country with her 6-year-old daughter while parenting solo, and re-think her entire career. We spoke on July 10, 2025. This is part of a theme we are pursuing looking at how the Trump administration is affecting people’s personal finances. If you know someone who would be a great guest, get in touch at otherpeoplespockets@gmail.com or on Instagram or TikTok at @itsmayamoney. And on LinkedIn ! Thank you for supporting this show! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

People in this episode

Host: Maya Lau

Guest: Cecilia Thiam

Topics covered

• humanitarian aid
• USAID cuts
• personal finance
• career change
• parenting
• Trump administration

Keywords

• humanitarian aid
• USAID
• Trump
• career change
• parenting
• sub-saharan Africa
• personal finance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: USAID

Places: United States, sub-saharan Africa

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