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They describe themselves as the "emergency rescue team". After their sudden termination when overseas aid underwent reductions recently, a collective of devoted professionals opted to launch their own rescue package.

Choosing not to "dwell on sadness", a former economist, along with similarly motivated former agency staff, started efforts to save some of the vital initiatives that faced closure after the reductions.

Currently, nearly eighty projects have been rescued by a matchmaking service operated by the economist and fellow past aid staff, which has secured them over $110m in recent backing. The team behind the Pro effort estimates it will benefit 40 million people, covering many young kids.

Following the termination of operations, funds were halted, a large workforce was let go, and projects worldwide either ended suddenly or were left limping toward what the economist terms "drop-dead dates".

The former staffer and several team members were reached out to by a charitable entity that "wanted to figure out how they could make the best use of their limited resources".

They developed a selection from the ended initiatives, selecting those "offering the most life-saving aid per dollar" and where a fresh backer could practically step in and continue the work.

They rapidly recognized the demand was broader than that initial entity and began to reach out to other potential donors.

"We referred to ourselves as the emergency squad at the start," states Rosenbaum. "The organization has been failing, and there are insufficient lifeboats for each programme to get on, and so we're striving to truly protect as many babies as we can, get as many on to these lifeboats as feasible, via the initiatives that are offering assistance."

Pro, now operating as part of a international policy center, has garnered backing for seventy-nine initiatives on its list in over thirty nations. A few have had prior support returned. A number were could not be preserved in time.

Backing has been provided by a mix of philanthropic foundations and private benefactors. Most choose to be anonymous.

"These donors originate from diverse reasons and perspectives, but the common thread that we've received from them is, 'I feel appalled by what's happening. I truly desire to find a method to help,'" says Rosenbaum.

"I believe that there was an 'lightbulb moment' for the entire team as we started working on this, that this created an possibility to transition from the inactivity and despair, dwelling on the misery of everything that was unfolding around us, to having a constructive endeavor to deeply commit to."

One project that has found backing through the effort is operations by the Alima to provide services such as care for malnourished children, maternal health care and crucial pediatric vaccinations in the country.

It is essential to continue these initiatives, explains the economist, not only because resuming activities if they ended would be prohibitively pricey but also because of how much reliance would be forfeited in the conflict-ravaged areas if the group withdrew.

"They informed us […] 'we're very worried that if we withdraw, we may never be invited back.'"

Projects with longer-term goals, such as improving medical infrastructure, or in additional areas such as learning, have not been part of Pro's work. It also does not seek to save the projects indefinitely but to "provide a buffer for the organizations and, frankly, the broader ecosystem, to devise a longer-term solution".

After securing support for every initiative on its original roster, the initiative announces it will now concentrate on helping additional individuals with "established, economical measures".