Since 2016, GiveDirectly has been working with the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC) to accelerate poverty reduction in the country through the delivery of unconditional cash transfers to those living in poverty. This international non-profit organization allows donors to send cash directly to the world’s poorest households and communities. They do this with the belief that people living in poverty deserve the dignity to choose for themselves how best to improve their lives, and cash enables that choice. Since its inception in Rwanda, GiveDirectly has reached different districts like Gasabo, Gicumbi, Gisagara, Kayonza, Ngoma, Ngororero, Nyamagabe, Rusizi, etc. where it delivered cash to poor households in rural areas, urban centers, and refugee camps. According to Gloria Ngabire, the Country Director of GiveDirectly Rwanda, the organization delivered cash transfers to over 200,000 families since launching operations in Rwanda in 2016, of which 84% are female led households. “To drive the impact forward, in April 2023, we launched a national scale-up which will ensure we deliver cash transfers to households living in poverty across the country. We started with a pilot program in each of the four Provinces and City of Kigali of Rwanda and are now operational in Gikomero in Gasabo, Cyabakamyi in Nyanza, Murama in Kayonza, Shingiro in Musanze and Butare in Rusizi District. Under this program, each eligible household will receive a minimum of Rwf 1.1 Million to achieve sustainable livelihoods and eventually graduate out of poverty. This, we believe, will play a significant role in accelerating the implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Graduation out of poverty (NSSG).” Said Gloria Ngabire. For successful implementation of the project, GiveDirectly relies on collaboration with local leadership and holds in-person interactions with each targeted household to onboard and prepare them for the cash transfers. This is an approach Ngabire says facilitates communication with community members and supports the organization in addressing different challenges that they may face during the implementation process. Prior impact evaluation of Nyamagabe, Ngororero, and Gisagara Districts have shown that the average cash transfer beneficiary uses the received funds to acquire productive assets and investments in lucrative projects. 31% of cash transfers were spent on building and renovating homes, and 43% of cash transfers were used on productive investment; agriculture, livestock, savings, businesses, and education, among others. Data also indicates that large cash transfers have a strong positive impact on the district's development agenda, contributing to food security, participation in health insurance, electrification of homes, and particularly the creation of income-generating activities. GiveDirectly has extensively researched cash transfers' negative impact on communities and households and has found little to no evidence of misuse of funds. Gloria Ngabire says: “...Rwanda’s development agenda has instilled a spirit of self-reliance in Rwandans. Many of the people GiveDirectly serves are willing and ready to demonstrate their ability to be productive, to create revenue and to grow as a community....” Now 41 years old, Nyirarukwavu Cecile is a resident of Nyamagabe district who has a family of six, and is passionate about fashion and design. She received a cash grant from GiveDirectly in August 2022. Before receiving support from GiveDirectly, she had managed to share her skills with three girls, instructing them in the art of sewing to empower them financially. Despite her desire to train more girls, the lack of sewing machines hindered her efforts. Thanks to GiveDirectly’s assistance, she was able to invest in a larger sewing machine and also trained her husband in embroidery design. Today, her shop is full of fabric stock, and she is currently training 17 young girls, whose parents decided to invest in buying them sewing machines. The young girls can earn a living and sew clothes for the growing demand from their neighbors and with their tuition fees, Cecile is able to generate additional revenues. Another interesting illustration of GiveDirectly’s impact is the family of Kanyemera Telesphore and Musingakazi Agathe, comprising eight members. Prior to receiving support from GiveDirectly, both were engaged in casual farm labor. However, Télesphore fell chronically ill, leaving Agathe as the sole breadwinner. The family survived on only approximately Rwf700 a day to cover their essential needs. As a result, their children were affected by malnutrition resulting in stunting and wasting. They were also unable to cover school fees for their firstborn daughter, resulting in her dropping out of secondary school. After receiving GiveDirectly’s support, the family started a small business which now earns them approximately Rwf 80,000 per month. They have also bought a cow to provide milk for their children, and have managed to send their firstborn child back to school where she is excelling. GiveDirectly is determined to continue its efforts to accelerate poverty reduction in Rwanda until they have reached all households living under the poverty line. They invite all entities in the development sector to join them, to take collective efforts to build the poverty-free Rwanda that we envision for the future.
