Harerimana Ismail is a community health care worker in Kabale District, Uganda, who supports children and teens living with HIV. He lost his salary as part of the U.S. aid cuts but continues doing his job. Ben de la Cruz/NPR hide caption

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Ben de la Cruz/NPR

Harerimana Ismail hasn't had a paycheck since the beginning of last year. He's kept working nonetheless.

When the Trump Administration paused foreign aid and issued stop work orders in January of 2025, almost all U.S. foreign aid projects were halted. That included the termination of Ismail's work as a community health worker at the Kabale Regional Referral Hospital in southwestern Uganda, where his salary – roughly $50 a month – was paid for by a U.S. grant.…