WASHINGTON (7News) — There are many feelings about what Ali Syverson just finished working on after being laid off from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Her latest project, and the last out of her Dupont Circle apartment, depicts the impact of the agency she worked for.
On the front of the painting, she pointed to international scenes of projects led by USAID, such as renewable energy in Eastern Europe and water and sanitation in the Philippines.
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“All of the people at USAID who have fallen during service,” she said, pointing to the side of her painting she showed off. “Those who died while they were in service for the government. I have them listed by decade, and there’s a total of 102.”
She said this is the story of USAID. Ali and her co-workers were terminated from this agency last month.
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“The number of jobs that are out there for people who are in the foreign aid sector are limited,” she said. “There are tens of thousands of people looking for that same job.”
Her job for now is selling her art. It’s all over her apartment, on her Instagram page, and on her website.
“Art becomes really important to get the message out about things,” said Ali, who plans to move out of the District in a few weeks. “I feel like I’m holding back tears right now in this interview. It’s been horrible and it’s been this rollercoaster of emotions these past few months.”
She worked in communications first in agriculture and then moved to climate change.
If you want to look at her art, click here.
“I’m hopeful that there will be some kind of action that fills the vacuum of what happened,” she said.
My coworkers are the most passionate people I’ve met.
