diff --git a/app/api/announcements/[id]/route.ts b/app/api/announcements/[id]/route.ts
index a400878b..befe9145 100644
--- a/app/api/announcements/[id]/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/announcements/[id]/route.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@ import { getServerSession } from "next-auth/next";
 import { authOptions } from "@/app/api/auth/[...nextauth]/route";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/prisma";
 
+/**
+ * Check if a user exists in the database
+ */
+async function userExists(userId: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
+      where: { id: userId },
+      select: { id: true }
+    });
+    return !!user;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(`Error checking if user exists:`, error);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 // GET - Retrieve a specific announcement
 export async function GET(
   req: NextRequest,
@@ -40,7 +56,7 @@ export async function GET(
     
     const hasAccess = 
       announcement.targetRoles.includes("all") || 
-      announcement.targetRoles.some(role => roles.includes(role));
+      announcement.targetRoles.some((role: string) => roles.includes(role));
     
     if (!hasAccess) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: "Forbidden" }, { status: 403 });
@@ -49,7 +65,11 @@ export async function GET(
     return NextResponse.json(announcement);
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Error fetching announcement:", error);
-    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Failed to fetch announcement" }, { status: 500 });
+    const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Unknown error";
+    return NextResponse.json({ 
+      error: "Failed to fetch announcement",
+      details: errorMessage
+    }, { status: 500 });
   }
 }
 
@@ -65,6 +85,17 @@ export async function DELETE(
       return NextResponse.json({ error: "Unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
     }
     
+    // Verify user exists in database
+    const userExistsInDB = await userExists(session.user.id);
+    
+    if (!userExistsInDB) {
+      console.error("User not found in database:", session.user.id);
+      return NextResponse.json({ 
+        error: "User not found",
+        details: `The user ID from your session (${session.user.id}) doesn't exist in the database.` 
+      }, { status: 400 });
+    }
+    
     // Check if user has admin, entrepreneurship, or communication role
     const userRole = session.user.role || [];
     const roles = Array.isArray(userRole) ? userRole : [userRole];
@@ -95,6 +126,13 @@ export async function DELETE(
     return NextResponse.json({ message: "Announcement deleted successfully" });
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Error deleting announcement:", error);
-    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Failed to delete announcement" }, { status: 500 });
+    const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Unknown error";
+    const errorCode = error.code || "UNKNOWN";
+    
+    return NextResponse.json({ 
+      error: "Failed to delete announcement",
+      details: errorMessage,
+      code: errorCode
+    }, { status: 500 });
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/api/announcements/route.ts b/app/api/announcements/route.ts
index 8bdd666f..2c5ffbb7 100644
--- a/app/api/announcements/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/announcements/route.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@ import { getServerSession } from "next-auth/next";
 import { authOptions } from "@/app/api/auth/[...nextauth]/route";
 import { prisma } from "@/lib/prisma";
 
+/**
+ * Check if a user exists in the database
+ */
+async function userExists(userId: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
+      where: { id: userId },
+      select: { id: true }
+    });
+    return !!user;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(`Error checking if user exists:`, error);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 // GET - Retrieve all announcements (with role filtering)
 export async function GET(req: NextRequest) {
   try {
@@ -72,18 +88,16 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
       return NextResponse.json({ error: "Missing required fields" }, { status: 400 });
     }
     
-    // Verify user exists in database
+    // Verify user exists in database (using session user id)
     console.log("Verifying user ID:", session.user.id);
     
-    const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
-      where: { id: session.user.id }
-    });
+    const userExistsInDB = await userExists(session.user.id);
     
-    if (!user) {
-      console.error("Author not found in database:", session.user.id);
+    if (!userExistsInDB) {
+      console.error("User not found in database:", session.user.id);
       return NextResponse.json({ 
-        error: "Author not found",
-        details: "The user account does not exist in the database"
+        error: "User not found",
+        details: `The user ID from your session (${session.user.id}) doesn't exist in the database. This may be due to a session/database mismatch or the user hasn't been synced to the application database.` 
       }, { status: 400 });
     }
     
@@ -101,10 +115,13 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Error creating announcement:", error);
     // Return more detailed error information
+    const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Unknown error";
+    const errorCode = error.code || "UNKNOWN";
+    
     return NextResponse.json({ 
       error: "Failed to create announcement",
-      details: error.message || "Unknown error",
-      code: error.code
+      details: errorMessage,
+      code: errorCode
     }, { status: 500 });
   }
 } 
\ No newline at end of file