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“For years, I depended on farming and whatever temporary work I could find. If I heard someone needed help in their fields, I would go. But the little I earned was never enough. There were times we went to sleep without eating. When my wife and I received our transfers from GiveDirectly, we sat together and decided how to use the money. We combined part of it to replace our grass roof with zinc sheets and buy household items. But we also wanted part of the money to keep working for us after the transfers were spent. I had experience selling second-hand clothes so I invested about $265 in stock. On my first day, I made $78 in sales. Those first sales gave me confidence that there is an opportunity to grow. My plan is to save part of what I earn, keep growing the business and one day have my own shop. After years of going to sleep wondering how I would provide, I am now building something I can count on.” Feles in Mozambique Learn more about our work in Mozambique at GiveDirectly.org/mozambique

We want to find out whether these tools can help people living in poverty, without assuming the answer either way. Here's how we're doing that...

"For almost 10 years, I slept on a reed mat. My ex-husband sold our mattress and blanket after a quarrel in 2016. He would also sell the farm produce we depended on and spend the money on beer, leaving me to find food for the children. In 2023, I asked him to leave because I wanted peace. Since then, I have raised my children alone. I start cooking velvet beans at 4 AM and carry them to the market the next day, making about $8 profit in a week. It was enough for food and school needs, but never for the grass roof over my children’s room. Strong winds blew off the thatch, and the rain came through. Then GiveDirectly came. The first thing I bought was a mattress. I also bought 35 iron sheets for the boys' room. And I bought a bicycle, so I no longer walk long distances. After ten years, I sleep comfortably again." Chrissy in Malawi Learn more about our work in Malawi at GiveDirectly.org/malawi

"I grew up in Kinigi, near the gorilla park. As a child, I watched tourists pass through our village on their way to see the gorillas. I dreamed of becoming a tour guide. Sometimes a journalist. After high school, my parents couldn't afford university. Three years later, I got married. My husband and I started our life with very little, a small piece of land, a tiny shop, and a monthly $10 rent. When we received the cash support from GiveDirectly, we invested $300 into our shop. Our capital more than tripled. Daily profit went from $2 to $7. For the first time, we are saving every week. We also used $550 to buy more farmland, enough to feed our family and sell the surplus. We believe that by saving from the shop and selling our harvest, we can build our own home within the next three years. And I still hope that one day, when life gets better, I can go back to school and finish my studies. Those dreams have not gone anywhere." Marceline in Rwanda Learn more about our work in Rwanda at GiveDirectly.org/rwanda

"Two weeks after giving birth to my youngest child, I lost my husband. For more than three years, I depended on my mother for almost everything. Debts kept piling up, rent here, and school fees there for over a year. I wanted to work but I just had nothing to start with. The day I received my first $170 from GiveDirectly, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I cleared my debts first then built something for myself by starting a grocery shop that became successful. I then noticed that there was no one selling fast food nearby, so I started a second business selling fried potatoes in the evenings. Today, I pay for my oldest child's university education and this makes me so proud of myself. I also help my mother out from time to time. That means everything to me because for more than three years, she was the one holding us up. I went from depending on my mother for everything to being able to stand on my own feet again." Nelius in Kenya Learn more about our work in Kenya at GiveDirectly.org/kenya

"Photography was my passion and income. I walked around our village taking photos at ceremonies and family gatherings. It gave me purpose and the hope that one day it could grow into something bigger. Then in 2024, the lens broke. That felt like the end of my dream. I could not repair it or buy another, and the business stopped completely. I survived on farming and casual labour, but my heart was hurting because the thing I truly loved was gone. When GiveDirectly came, the happiest moment for me was buying a HD camera for $290, even bigger and better than the one I lost. I felt like my dream had come back to life. Now I photograph in the village and print in town the next day, earning $17 to $29 on a good week. My dream now is even bigger. One day, I want to shoot music videos and work with famous artists." John in Malawi Learn more about our work in Malawi at GiveDirectly.org/malawi