Recent revelations from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have exposed evidence of systemic corruption, financial mismanagement, and hidden agendas of bureaucrats, revealing USAID's role in advancing self-serving US political and economic goals like securing access to critical natural resources and expanding its geopolitical footprint in the Global South. This is often done through Western non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, and their local collaborators. These issues not only raise eyebrows about the agency's efficiency and resource allocation but also highlight the urgent need for a shift toward more transparent, locally driven development strategies that prioritize the autonomy and needs of aid-recipient countries over foreign influence.