Why People Leave — and How Cash Lets Them Stay

Sandino Scheidegger

In a recent interview, ETH Zurich researcher Jan Freihardt challenged a familiar narrative: that people in the Global South are fleeing their homes en masse toward the Global North due to climate change. It’s an interesting perspective—and one that made me pause.

UBI Without Borders: Social Income as a Model of Transnational Solidarity in a Fragmenting World

Kerrin Dieckmann

In 2016, Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to implement an unconditional basic income (UBI) for all. While the idea sparked global conversation, skepticism lingered — especially around one persistent concern: affordability.

Remembering the Ebola Crisis in Sierra Leone: A Story of Resilience

Riccardo Tamburini

When Ebola swept through Sierra Leone, it left behind more than just loss: it tested the strength of an entire nation. We look back at the crisis, the courage of survivors, and how a community rose from tragedy to rebuild, resist stigma, and reclaim hope.

Microcredits Sound Great. So Why Don’t We Offer Them?

Sandino Scheidegger

When talking about poverty alleviation, we’re often asked: “What about microcredits?” It’s a good question. Microcredits once inspired global hope as a revolutionary solution to poverty. But the reality has proven more complicated, and the initial promise has dimmed. In this article, we’ll explain why we chose a different approach.

From Clicks to Change: The Real Power of Influencers in Ending Poverty

Riccardo Tamburini

In a world where one Instagram Story can reach thousands and a single TikTok can go viral overnight, influencers hold a kind of digital megaphone that brands use to pay millions for. But beyond product launches and sponsored content, there’s a growing movement where this influence is being used for something far more powerful: social change. When it comes to fighting poverty, influencers can be game-changers.

Chocolate, Filmmaking & Basic Income: My Journey with Social Income to Fight Inequality

Riccardo Tamburini

It all started with a Wikipedia page—one that disappeared almost as quickly as I had found it. That fleeting discovery led me to Social Income, where I became a volunteer. Now, four years later, I want to share how that one moment shaped my journey and how far it has taken me.

1% — Because Doing Something Beats Doing Nothing

Sandino Scheidegger

We know we could do more. We read headlines about hunger, poverty, and deep inequality. We hear staggering numbers—millions living on less than two dollars a day. Even a small contribution from us can meaningfully improve someone’s life. Yet, we pause. Not from lack of caring, but from uncertainty: Where do we start? Will our contribution really matter? Too often, hesitation becomes our way of quieting the guilt of doing nothing.

How to Reduce Income Inequality?

Matthew Roberts

Direct cash transfers can be an effective tool for reducing income inequality because they provide financial support to those who are struggling to make ends meet.

What is Poverty?

Riccardo Tamburini

Poverty is a major global issue that affects billions of people around the world. It is defined as the lack of access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clean water. Poverty also refers to a lack of access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.

Fighting Global Poverty with the Help of Everyday People

Social Income

Social Income lets everyone participate in the fight against global poverty by contributing 1% of their income, which is paid out directly to the phones of people in need. Their approach builds on a reliable, preexisting direct cash donation system, which has proven to be both effective and scalable. The only requirement is a cell phone capable of mobile banking, which makes Sierra Leone—a fast-growing mobile money market—a perfect location.

World Poverty Statistics 2024

Social Income

Facing the harsh reality of extreme poverty, over 700 million individuals globally survive on under $1.90 per day, a crisis that disproportionately affects children. The goal to eradicate this by 2030 underlines the vital global effort of Sustainable Development Goal 1.

A Will and a Way to End Poverty

Social Income

The Swiss nonprofit Social Income asks, “What would change if you gave away 1% of your income every month? Not much, right?” It is based on these questions and a strong belief in universal basic income (UBI) that Sandino Scheidegger founded the organization, which works toward alleviating global poverty through direct cash transfers to the impoverished citizens of Sierra Leone. Social Income is taking advantage of the burgeoning use of mobile banking platforms in Africa and is alleviating poverty by facilitating “human to human” assistance.

One Percent is Actually Ridiculous

Social Income

The Zurich-based project Social Income provides people in Sierra Leone with an unconditional basic income. Could this be the future of poverty alleviation? A conversation with the project's founder about global inequality and the potential of voluntary redistribution of wealth.