Before It Fades
A Space to Hold What Mattered
Who We Are
We are a community of individuals who work in foreign aid, development, global health, and humanitarian response. We have spent years—sometimes decades—building programs, mentoring teams, responding to crises, and working toward a better world.
We are incredibly proud of what we and our colleagues have done, what we have contributed to, and the impact we have helped shape.
Why This Exists
In this moment of profound change, many of the institutions and programs we worked within are shutting down. The systems we navigated, the missions we dedicated ourselves to—many are disappearing, leaving us with questions:
What happens to the work we did? What happens to the stories we carry?
Before It Fades is a space to honour that work and those who gave so much to it. This is not a campaign. It is not an advocacy effort. It is not an argument for or against aid. It is simply a space to capture the human side of this work—the stories that shaped us, the lessons that stayed with us, and the moments that should not be forgotten.
What We Do
We gather and share reflections, memories, and experiences from those who have worked in aid, development, and humanitarian response. These are not donor-driven narratives or impact reports. They are personal stories—sometimes uplifting, sometimes difficult—that offer a glimpse into the realities of the work we dedicated ourselves to.
For now, Before It Fades will start as a collection of reflections, shared through Substack. If enough people contribute, it could grow into something larger—an archive, a book, a podcast. That part is still unfolding.
How to Participate
If this resonates with you, you are welcome here. If you have something to share, you can. If you are not ready, that’s okay too. This space will be here.
In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be sharing calls to contribute reflections and stories. For now, if this space speaks to you, please subscribe and share with others who may want to be part of it.
Share: Before it Fades
Contact us: contact@beforeitfades.org