Wolfgang Kessler, a journalist and economist formerly at the International Monetary Fund, challenges how we think about aid. He argues for direct cash transfers instead of sending billions into fragile states, where funds often end up with elites. Cash transfers bypass middlemen. The money goes straight to people’s accounts, quickly and transparently, with dignity.

These sources provided background and insights

Für ein globales Grundeinkommen – direkte Geldzahlungen an die Ärmsten dieser Welt könnten Armut lindern und Korruption vermeiden

Neue Zürcher Zeitung

by Wolfgang Kessler on May 12, 2022

Let’s unpack the four insights that stood out:

1. Aid often gets stuck at the top: Lebanon, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Haiti — the pattern repeats. Billions flow in, but little reaches people in need. Corruption, inefficiency, or elite capture make sure of it.

2. Direct cash transfers bypass intermediaries: GiveDirectly’s ongoing experiment in Kenya proves it. Since 2017, 20,500 people across 124 villages have been receiving $22 per month through mobile payments. The results? More food security, new small businesses and stronger community bonds. Crucially, women gained independence and self-confidence.

3. The need is immense: The UNDP estimates that 2.48 billion people across 132 developing countries still live under the poverty line. That’s not just a statistic — it’s nearly one in three people on earth.

4. From skepticism to support: Even skeptics (economists long opposed to unconditional transfers) are recognizing their efficiency. A global basic income may be simpler, more humane, and more effective than much of today’s development aid.

What this means for Social Income

Social Income is built on a simple idea: trust people with cash. The evidence backs it. Research from MIT and proposals at the UN show that direct transfers do more than charity. They build resilience and real choice. They help growth from the bottom up.

Cash isn’t a fix for everything. It won’t repair roads, fix bad governance, or end inequality. But it does one vital thing: it gives people room to breathe. Enough to eat. Enough to save or invest. Enough to choose.

We don’t claim to stop crises, corruption, or migration. Still, the effects are real. Cash helps keep communities together before they break. It lets people choose their next step instead of being pushed by circumstance.

A closing thought

If we’re serious about ending poverty, we have to be serious about simplicity. Not more conferences. Not more bureaucracy. Just money—directly to the people who need it most.

That’s the promise of a global basic income. And it’s already working, village by village. It shows we can tackle poverty directly. The real question is: how long will we let billions go without it?

In the end, the fairest aid is the aid people actually receive. Isn’t that what matters?