Cash, Choice and Dignity: How GiveDirectly is Changing Aid

In this episode, we’re joined by Stella Luk, Regional Director at GiveDirectly, and Erin Quinn, Dimagi’s Senior Director of Customer Success, to explore a fundamental question: What if, instead of aid programs deciding what communities need, we simply gave people cash and trusted them to make the best choices for themselves?
GiveDirectly has pioneered direct, unconditional cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty, challenging long-held assumptions about traditional aid. Stella shares powerful insights from the field—how cash empowers recipients with dignity, choice, and long-term impact. We also discuss the skepticism surrounding cash transfers, the evidence supporting their effectiveness, and how technology is helping reach those most in need.
With global development funding in flux, could direct cash transfers be the future of aid? Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation on how this model is reshaping humanitarian response and development efforts worldwide.