In Malawi, “money from the sky” to escape poverty
In one of the world's poorest countries, a radical project is being developed: 71,000 of the most vulnerable people have received a single payment of nearly 500 euros, with no compensation. The Christian Science Monitor took a close look at this new form of aid, which is upending development doctrines.
With a simple notification on their cell phones in May 2024, Nelson Mdzuma and Magret Zoliyela found themselves with a sum of money they never imagined they would have: 935,000 Malawian kwachas [460 euros] each. That's about $550, far more than most people can expect to earn in a year in Chigowo, one of the thousands of small villages that dot the plains of central Malawi.
At the end of a dirt road, the neighbors had also received the same message and were already celebrating. Some were shouting and dancing, others were rushing to the market to buy corn.
Nelson Mdzuma, the village chief, is careful to maintain dignity in all circumstances, but that day, he felt his gait change. “There was something majestic about it,” he recalls.
As night fell, husband and wife knelt on the dirt floor. Magret Zoliyela remembers every word of his prayer: “Lord, you gave us this money. We did not earn it by the sweat of our brow. Give us the wisdom to use it wisely.”
The sum, paid into their new mobile bank accounts, is part of a bold experiment in international development aid.
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