Poverty Eradication – Habwa Wigire (GiveDirectly Rwanda Cash Transfer Program)
GiveDirectly operates unconditional cash transfer programs in Rwanda in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, delivering large, one-time (lump-sum) mobile-money payments to extremely poor households rather than a recurring monthly basic income. The current flagship active initiative, 'Poverty Eradication – Habwa Wigire,' launched in 2023 and provides a ~$550 one-time transfer per eligible person (household heads, youth, and teen mothers) in the Gasabo, Musanze, Nyanza, Kayonza, and Rusizi districts. GiveDirectly has additionally run donor-specific rounds, such as a 2025-2026 Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD)-backed transfer of ~$1,100 per recipient to 5,331 people in Nyagisozi Sector, Nyanza District. Since 2016, GiveDirectly has delivered over $100 million and reached 220,000+ people across 22 of Rwanda's 30 districts through six distinct programs (poverty relief, refugee self-reliance, youth/nutrition cash benchmarking, and COVID-19 emergency relief). Despite the seed listing's label as a 'Basic Income Program,' no evidence was found of a recurring, long-term monthly guaranteed-income product operating in Rwanda; GiveDirectly's dedicated 'Basic Income' program line (long-term monthly payments) is documented only in Kenya, and formerly Malawi/Mozambique/Uganda, not Rwanda.
One-time lump sum cash transfer, Village saturation model, Government of Rwanda partnership, Mobile money, Poverty relief, Not a recurring UBI
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- GiveDirectly, Inc.
- City
- New York
- State / Province
- New York
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Number of recipients
- 28,772
- Funding type
- Government, Nonprofit, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 550 USD
- Payment frequency
- Lump Sum
- Distribution Type
- Mobile Money
- Benefit details
Under the active 'Habwa Wigire' program, eligible household heads receive a one-time transfer of approximately $550, with additional one-time transfers to youth (5,893 reached) and teen mothers (192 reached) in the same target sectors. A related 2025-2026 QFFD-funded round paid ~$1,100 per recipient (household heads, young adults, and teen mothers) to 5,331 people in Nyagisozi Sector. Funds are sent via SMS-enabled mobile money with no restrictions on spending. Historical Rwanda programs (2016-2022) delivered similarly structured one-time transfers ranging from ~$110 to ~$1,000 depending on the specific initiative (e.g., Kungahara ~$797, refugee self-reliance ~$720, COVID-19 relief $150).
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Recipients must permanently reside in a village/cell/sector selected by GiveDirectly and the Government of Rwanda based on poverty data (villages where most residents live on less than $2.15/day), must not have previously received a GiveDirectly transfer, and generally must have at least one household member 18 or older. The 'Habwa Wigire' program additionally includes targeted sub-tracks for youth and teen mothers within the same selected districts. Enrollment follows a 'village saturation' approach: essentially all eligible households in a chosen village/cell are enrolled after a household census and community meetings, rather than an individual application process.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
Geography
- Countries covered
- Rwanda
- Counties covered
- Gasabo, Musanze, Nyanza, Kayonza, Rusizi districts (Habwa Wigire program), Nyagisozi Sector, Nyanza District (QFFD-funded round), historically 22 of Rwanda's 30 districts have been reached across all GiveDirectly Rwanda programs since 2016
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
There is no individual online application. GiveDirectly, in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, selects target villages/cells/sectors using poverty data, then field teams conduct a household census and hold community meetings (barazas/inteko) to register eligible households and individuals in person. Enrollment data is tracked (e.g., via Salesforce) to prevent duplicate registrations.
- Selection process
Village saturation model: once a village/cell is selected based on poverty criteria, essentially every eligible household (and, for sub-tracks, eligible youth and teen mothers) within it is enrolled following door-to-door verification and community meetings, rather than a competitive or means-tested selection among applicants.
