More than 700 million people — 10% of the world population — struggle to meet basic needs like education, healthcare and access to water. Cash, delivered quickly and at scale with no strings attached, enables individuals and families to gain access to what they need and invest in their future, helping to end extreme poverty. However, current approaches to providing direct cash assistance are slow and difficult to implement and scale.

The MobileAid program, supported by GiveDirectly, uses data science to accurately and remotely identify, enroll and pay individuals currently in or at risk of living in poverty. Eligible individuals can enroll in the program and receive transfers on their mobile money wallets almost instantly.

Payments can be implemented as part of a general anti-poverty program or as a disaster relief tool. Government programs in Togo and The Democratic Republic of Congo focused on support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and future programs will include support in anticipation and response of natural disasters.

In the last 18 months, MobileAid has been successfully deployed by governments in Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo governments, where it was used to give direct cash aid to nearly 200,000 recipients. This program will expand to Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria and Bangladesh in the coming years.

Photo collage of recipients clockwise from the top: Gabriel, Lucy and Charlotte in Koga Village; Josee M. in Rwanda; Adela in Rwanda; Phone transfer withdrawal in Kenya; Janet in Kenya