Are traditional philanthropy efforts actually taking money from the poor? Former UK Member of Parliament Rory Stewart breaks down why many global development projects waste money on programs that don’t work. He advocates for a radical reversal rooted in evidence: giving unconditional cash transfers directly to those in need, a method that could unlock the secret of addressing extreme poverty worldwide. (Recorded at TED2024 on April 19, 2024)
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@givedirectly
September 12, 2024 at 10:30 am
⬆ Learn more about the direct cash program Rory visited in Rwanda at our channel. If you have questions, ask here and we’ll do our best to reply.
@itsmeyourfriend
September 12, 2024 at 1:38 pm
I’m heading over now. What if I can only commit to $10 or $15 monthly?
@alistairdaynes
September 12, 2024 at 2:55 pm
How did Give Directly start or discover the approach to .. well .. give directly?
@ibanezaxe8
September 12, 2024 at 5:51 pm
Any amount helps, imagine if everyone you knew was giving just that amount the difference it would make!
@givedirectly
September 13, 2024 at 7:44 am
@@itsmeyourfriend adds up to make a big difference! In Rwanda, $40 can buy a new latrine and $150 gets a sewing machine to launch a tailoring business.
@givedirectly
September 13, 2024 at 7:46 am
@@alistairdaynes We didn’t discover or start direct cash transfers, but the advent of mobile money in Kenya in 2007 allowed us to start scaling up. A growing body of positive research evidence encourage us to fine tune and keep going.
@berniefern
September 12, 2024 at 1:17 pm
“People don’t want to learn how to fish, they might want to open a bakery” 🔥
@itsmeyourfriend
September 12, 2024 at 1:40 pm
Link above – lets all commit to a small monthly donation and make a big change 💜
@adonisdowdy1246
September 12, 2024 at 1:41 pm
It’s a blessing to get help when struggling. Especially the working class is the main ones suffering. We don’t qualify for financial assistance. We just get another job and lose time with our loved ones unfortunately.
@SanabiturAnimaMea
September 12, 2024 at 1:53 pm
“We stole the money. We literally stole $38,000 out of $40,000” exactly
@JacquellineFuller
September 12, 2024 at 2:02 pm
Very powerful data and storytelling. Direct cash works.
@emmahardesty4330
September 12, 2024 at 2:02 pm
Many people watching are so, so glad, so grateful you’ve addressed the lop-sided and vulgar mismanagement by agencies that actually don’t help real people at all.
@lizjka8281
September 12, 2024 at 2:10 pm
Half a billion in extreme poverty. Elon Musk bought Twitter for how much? He could have given them a ‘living wage’ for decades. He could have been a saint to so many.
@MarkUlrichB
September 12, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Inspiring!
@NicoSmets
September 12, 2024 at 2:36 pm
Is this the lobby for liquor and tabacco?
@brunosabadini5036
September 12, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Better is giving a job, no?
@jabel6434
September 12, 2024 at 2:56 pm
@brunosabadini5036,- it seems you have not watched the video. Which point is inferior to creating jobs for people (you can not assume the jobs are there)?
@kaihuwiler5848
September 12, 2024 at 2:52 pm
Just a friendly reminder that mobile money (peer-to-peer transfer) actually was invented in 2007 in Kenya.
@TheFitnessWellnessHub
September 12, 2024 at 3:50 pm
“If you’re looking for unique content that inspires and entertains, hit the subscribe button now and turn on notifications to be the first to watch our new and exciting videos!”❤❤🎉
@TheFitnessWellnessHub
September 12, 2024 at 3:51 pm
❤❤🎉🎉
@scatton61
September 12, 2024 at 3:53 pm
Occasionally Rory makes sense
@hiddestammers879
September 12, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Very worthwhile too watch
@edoardocalvimusini381
September 12, 2024 at 4:28 pm
“WE STOLE THE MONEY” 👏🏻👏🏻
@balasubr2252
September 12, 2024 at 5:39 pm
Why not ask AI to generate income to pay for these needy instead of asking the wealthy or the people or the government? Can’t AI generate income streams and distribute it effectively and efficiently without humans in the loop using its access to the data, opportunities and knowledge to create wealth?
@robhughes2832
September 12, 2024 at 5:41 pm
I’ve said this for years. It’s the same in the UK for arts. If you just gave the artists cash, we’d have a revolution in society and art in a couple of years. Unemployment, healthcare, crime, all of it.
@glow808
September 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm
whoooo 🔃🔄👍👍
@weareparamore1597
September 12, 2024 at 6:53 pm
The pandemic money given by the government here in Philippines just go on liquor,online gambling and hair straightening 😅😂
@valuethug
September 12, 2024 at 7:36 pm
This is excellent.
The fish phrase has always been propaganda ( taught to me in school at a young age) -it leads the listener to assume that both the ‘giver’ and the ‘receiver’ have the same opportunity.
As for why the effective methods are a secret, I think this is best explained by the death of Martin Luther king Jr; He was not assassinated for helping African Americans to vote but rather for his involvement in the Poor People’s Campaign -which made a point of being a multi cultural movement.
You see, $40,000 for a toilet IS the goal. Doing something WITHOUT doing anything IS the goal. If the world were to ever see that poverty is actually fixable….well, you can say goodbye to your yacht industry.
@jacquiorenda-weber9451
September 12, 2024 at 7:38 pm
The most compelling pieces of data on Give Directly’s cash payments include the percentage of people who owned cows and cars or bicycles before and after ONE TIME cash payments. People are using the money to increase their opportunities and income potential. They are experts in their own lives. Only they know the most meaningful use for their money.
@Socratic199
September 12, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Desperate people so desperate things. There’s no lack of money. They literally print it out of nothing. Homelessness and hunger are tools. Used to keep the working poor working and poor. There’s no billionaire, sipping cocktails in an infinity pool, thinking about you. Begging isn’t the answer. Taking back the value of our work and depriving the greedy of another dollar they don’t deserve. No one person is capable of doing enough work to be worth billions, alone. Not a single one. Each, today, stand on the backs of every employee. Without the army of us, they’re just a dork in weird clothes.
@gummybearcanada
September 12, 2024 at 7:53 pm
Cash should not be given. Cash should be earned.
@ConvictHammer
September 12, 2024 at 8:31 pm
I agree money should be earned, but I’m also curious if you have ever seen or understand the condition of extreme poverty, truly?
@-AkhilTej-
September 12, 2024 at 7:57 pm
💎🏆 Great insightful & fruitful video 🏆💎
लोकः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु
( May all beings lead prosperous life across Globe 🌍 )
@CristhianFelipeOsorioReyes
September 12, 2024 at 10:09 pm
I don’t know Rick!
@tobalation
September 12, 2024 at 10:42 pm
Very convincing!
@DwainDwight
September 13, 2024 at 12:12 am
spot on mate. 100% agree.
@user-dm6pi4fx5h
September 13, 2024 at 12:59 am
If the government of the country you are giving cash out is fine, you can just give money to government. If their government is corrupt or autoritarian, they’ll steal your money from those poor people.
@MacKnappSacks
September 13, 2024 at 5:49 am
GiveDirectly gives money direct to people, without going through governments. A safe option for you!
@PhilAndersonOutside
September 13, 2024 at 2:19 am
Fantastic! We badly need someone in the US like Barack Obama, Hakeem Jeffries, or even someone like Charlie Baker or Lisa Murkowsi to follow this lead.
@samspecials1996
September 13, 2024 at 4:11 am
Thank you very much GiveDirectly. @Rory Stewart ❤🎉🎉🎉
@profaccount1639
September 13, 2024 at 4:44 am
Fantastic !!!
@Multiludko
September 13, 2024 at 5:19 am
So. EU and US sanctions against Russian citizens are preventing me from helping out other nations. What do I do?
@MacKnappSacks
September 13, 2024 at 6:04 am
I love what @givedirectly is doing and hope more people (especially some of these commenters 👀) actually watch the video and read more about the success of direct cash.
@BoBoZoBo
September 13, 2024 at 6:53 am
Gibberish nonsense. Lots of false platitudes and misinformation.
@badgerfool1980
September 13, 2024 at 8:59 am
It might have been helpful if he had learned about the efficiency of a free market, the disastrous inefficiency of government spending and the importance of individual choice BEFORE having a career in “Conservative” politics.
Better late than never I suppose but a fine example of why the New Labour version of the “Conservative” party is such a failure.
@oskardinovta6592
September 13, 2024 at 8:59 am
So true.
@humanbeing6294
September 13, 2024 at 9:28 am
Wow! that’s great !
@BrianGivensYtube
September 13, 2024 at 9:54 am
What about the risk of them buying drug that end their lives? Addictions are too strong sometimes. How do we handle that factor?
@givedirectly
September 13, 2024 at 10:49 am
Fatal drug usage found in wealthy countries is far, far less common areas of extreme poverty. Also dozens of studies have found no increase in the use of alcohol or tobacco in communities that have received cash. In fact some studies find a decrease in alcoholism in the community. Lastly, direct cash can SAVE lives. It’s been proven to significantly reduce child mortality in areas where normally 1 in 25 children don’t live to their 5th birthday.
@darinherrick9224
September 13, 2024 at 3:44 pm
A phrase I use a lot lately is “These forms are to PREVENT you from getting government money. If the government wanted to give you money they would deposit it in your bank account. They already know everything about you. If you deserve the money for a legit need, they already know it. The forms and processes just exist to stop everyone from getting that money.”
Same with taxes. The government already knows how much you owe. They COULD just send you a bill or deposit the money into your bank account. The forms are so that the tax preparation industry that lobbies the government can exist.
@marianne4884
September 13, 2024 at 4:31 pm
My eyes are opened. Please watch and share! If you really want to help “the poor”, listen to this man
@sanveekbeast2987
September 13, 2024 at 5:29 pm
i need money and i need job
@sanveekbeast2987
September 13, 2024 at 5:33 pm
i have a only one problem i am urdu speaking and i cant understand that conference
@pinealgasm
September 13, 2024 at 6:25 pm
you can’t afford to hear me.
@user-jd1kc9xw1x
September 13, 2024 at 6:26 pm
I beg to differ… To get rid of poverty (a lack of finances), Take all value away from money. Get rid of it altogether.
There. Now everyone is on a level playing field. Where do we wanna go from here?
@pinealgasm
September 13, 2024 at 6:37 pm
so how hard i gotta work to get your attention? still can’t afford to reach out to me?
@vernond3515
September 14, 2024 at 3:53 am
I dont see anything new here, this is giving cash to complete strangers. The NGO’s take a cut obviously but provide food and medical supplies. I think Rory is oversimplifying the NGO process with one extreme example. Whats to stop these Africans becoming dependent on cash payments? Isnt it better they receive the actual goods than cash?
@basicincome549
September 14, 2024 at 7:17 am
Great talk!
@abdulfataiajala5530
September 14, 2024 at 9:58 am
I am a Nigerian in his late 50s and have been in business environment assisting people in their various businesses for some decades.
I want to set up my own businesses on the fields that I have the knowledge but I don’t have capital to move on.
@alexwilder8315
September 14, 2024 at 1:51 pm
I’ve been giving to Give Directly for about a year now thanks to a very informative video by Rational Animations. Thank you Rory for helping to continue to elucidate these findings for use in 2024.
@HakuCell
September 14, 2024 at 4:15 pm
there’s no incentive to give cash.
@PraetorianAU
September 14, 2024 at 4:24 pm
You know what is even better then money? Food and shelter. Neither of which money can provide. Money is a means to an end. How about we skip the money part and get right to actually helping people.
Money is just there as a barrier preventing people getting what they need.
@tristaneagling9134
September 15, 2024 at 11:44 am
You are missing the point , people can buy food and shelter
@ИменославФамильский
September 14, 2024 at 4:52 pm
And sell the weapons🥱
@AndersMJustesen
September 14, 2024 at 7:28 pm
It feels somewhat insane that suddenly the world is waking up to the fact that the best way to combat extreme poverty, is to give money directly to those suffering from poverty.
@vintagemxer1846
September 15, 2024 at 12:28 pm
That’s probably because it is insane.
@klaus265
September 15, 2024 at 1:20 am
Wow, well said
@FyoGuidesAndRides
September 15, 2024 at 3:27 am
This is one of the (if not THE) best frakin antithesis I’ve ever heard! And the line “WE STOLE THE MONEY” is BRUTAL!!! I myself, was very poor. I am happy some business operators trusted me with their bananas and bread that I was able to sell, on consignment, when I was a kid.
@johnkintree763
September 15, 2024 at 9:46 am
Extreme poverty persists because the structure of power tends to favor people at the top. Liberation will come by uniting to build an open source and decentralized global structure of power that is based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Earth Charter.
@claritylouise2347
September 15, 2024 at 10:07 am
Well Done! Universal Credit Scam 2016 uk, Its a scam pushed hard workers into depression bigtime! So many stats onit, Also Global Amazon prime brought up supermarkets products and groceries, So in uk empty shelves was because of brexit lol! No amazon warehouses filled with mineral water etc, People are stupid 2024!
@vintagemxer1846
September 15, 2024 at 12:20 pm
Free money breeds laziness, entitlement, and complacency (among many other undesirable traits). Not a good recipe for future success
@vintagemxer1846
September 15, 2024 at 12:30 pm
The positive effects of free money only last until the money dries up.
@joyschtik
September 15, 2024 at 6:12 pm
Where does the cash go to?
@backcountyrpilot
September 15, 2024 at 10:02 pm
I’m convinced that most street people are addicted to the life.
@sroll10
September 15, 2024 at 10:33 pm
Excellent. Giving directly treats people with dignity. They know what they need to improve their lives and they don’t need others to prescribe solutions for them.
@gadgetgus
September 16, 2024 at 2:07 am
⚠️ Rory Stewart has more knowledge and experience in the field than most self-serving politicians.
He is PM we needed to help fix things, but unfortunately, many didn’t see him in this light…
Our world 🌎 needs people like Rory to run things. He has always had my vote.
@blackmore_s
September 16, 2024 at 10:32 am
Kier could show his intent to lead for everyone by choosing people from cross party benches, people like Rory and Baroness Warsi to attend cabinet as special advisors or even Ministers.
@Harrycowlton
September 16, 2024 at 2:47 am
Maybe poverty grew in Africa between 1980 and now by half a billion people because they outbred the then so called development aid? But the giving cash idea is amazingly good. Wealthy people do not breed so much also I note and build more sustainable lives?
@the-crypt.eth-
September 16, 2024 at 3:09 am
Comment 🎉
@herintuion88
September 16, 2024 at 7:44 am
Amen.
Well said.
Thank you. 🙏🏽🙏🏽
@dirkvanschalkwyk1919
September 16, 2024 at 10:18 am
The trick is to pay the money to a responsible adult, most likely a struggling mother, but good luck in keeping the bullies at bay in Sub Saharan Africa, so this may result in increased violence against women, but how were we to know that, right?
I think that the price of cows, milk, roof sheeting and fish hooks will increase rapidly, as it did in Zimbabwe during hyperinflation.
It shouldn’t be necessary to point out that teaching a person to fish, is a metaphor, which doesn’t exclude ventures such as human trafficking etc.
Most of us have known that charities are grossly inefficient and ineffective, but having a few plastic buckets to show for £40k of UK tax money, is a shameful disgrace. (Somebody needs to tell Rachel Reeves, as she missed the £20B hole despite having access to the books before winning office. Rory’s misspent budget would fill the hole nicely, thank you. )
This talk reminds of the confessions of an US aid worker who went to South Africa for capacity building after the ANC election victory and she then moved to Zimbabwe to alleviate the AIDS pandemic there, switching boyfriends as she crossed the border).
@dirkvanschalkwyk1919
September 16, 2024 at 11:09 am
Yes, but how does someone who eats every second day afford an active personal mobile phone for receiving the payouts. At best such a phone will be communal and passwords won’t remain secret under threat of physical violence.
@dirkvanschalkwyk1919
September 16, 2024 at 10:22 am
Using AI to pay out weather damage relief before the storm has occurred is brilliant. I can’t wait for weather forecasts to be manipulated to elicit or prevent payouts.
@ofirarg
September 16, 2024 at 7:07 pm
Wrong
@apelhitam
September 17, 2024 at 2:06 am
Inflation?
@Bantallas
September 17, 2024 at 7:07 am
7:00 is there Research how giving money affect a: inflation in the area b: repetitive donation change behavior of the recipients
@givedirectly
September 17, 2024 at 10:54 am
There is on both! Cannot share URLs in YouTube comments, so visit our blog and search “inflation” and “UBI” for those studies
@givedirectly
September 17, 2024 at 10:55 am
Evidence shows GiveDirectly’s cash transfers have a positive impact on local economies in low-income countries and don’t create inflation.
In 2014, GiveDirectly partnered with researchers to study how large transfers affect local economies: 10,500 poor households across 653 randomized villages in rural Kenya received a one-time $1000. This amount of money was significant: about 15% of local GDP. After 2.5 years of monthly surveys of businesses and households, researchers found an average price inflation of just 0.1% adding, “even during periods with the largest transfers, estimated price effects are <1%.”
They also found cash transfers had a “multiplier” effect of 2.5x. This means that every $1 of cash delivered generated $2.50 in additional spending or income for the larger economy, benefiting those who received funds and those who did not.
@StephenDaviesAuthor
September 17, 2024 at 9:30 am
Having spent most of my life working in the area of patronising, colonial aid, I wish I’d come to this realisation sooner. Thank you, Rory, for a magnificent talk.
@earllsimmins9373
September 17, 2024 at 9:42 am
Give a man a fish he will eat for a day,teach a man to fish and he will put some beaucract at the fish distribution center out of a job.
@jackgaines5615
September 17, 2024 at 10:24 am
If you want to see an $80 loaf of bread, pass out money.
I’ve seen false economies through stipends around the world and only .10 cents on the dollar reaches the poor, the rest ends up with criminals and intermediaries.
I know the program he is describing in Rwanda. The non-profit goes through hundreds of pitches before selecting the one or two to fund.
The challenge is that he is applying micro-economic values to a macro-economic theory.
The variables change at the national level.
@Frix_Music
September 17, 2024 at 1:28 pm
I’m a big supporter of GiveDirectly
@moru3236
September 17, 2024 at 1:43 pm
Yet you can’t have rich if you don’t have poor.
To consume more workforce than you invest someone else has to invest more workforce than he consumes.
So the motivation for the rich to end poverty is… limited…
@fintamaria2429
September 17, 2024 at 3:42 pm
👏👏👏👏
@vectorfox4782
September 17, 2024 at 7:49 pm
Next time you DoorDash, think about the kids that can’t afford school lunches.
@tiengangale2585
September 18, 2024 at 2:50 am
Very good Ted. We done, Rod
@Powerful_Bharat
September 18, 2024 at 4:22 am
This man changed my perspective to freebies and giving cash.
But yeah, It is a great idea but only a good Government can turn it into a good and effective one.
One of the best Talks❤
@jwhitenstall
September 18, 2024 at 11:15 pm
This man is, in part, responsible for reintroducing extreme poverty in the UK. It’s a shame he didn’t find this level of compassion when he was in government.
@JoySheikjiyauddin
September 19, 2024 at 4:06 am
Poverty moade by war and corruption only
@linzikerner001
September 19, 2024 at 4:27 am
❤ Rory
@medismarley
September 19, 2024 at 6:17 am
Is funny how after decades of stealing resources, money, families and hope ; only now they realise giving them back what their owed is the solution
@zactaylorschindler8208
September 19, 2024 at 7:20 am
Really really great, but can you talk about the Risk of inflation? I’ve heard people say just chucking money at all the problems in the world could cause different problems. I wonder what an economist would argue against this?
@PamelaC23
September 19, 2024 at 8:48 am
Very inspiring. I’ve already donated via Give Directly but I’m going to do it again next week.
@WhichDoctor1
September 19, 2024 at 9:14 am
Turns out the most efficient way to help poor people out of poverty is to give them money. What a revelation
@fintamaria2429
September 19, 2024 at 10:20 am
Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit follows The Minister’s Millions to find out how he built a half a billion dollar real estate empire – on a thirteen thousand dollar salary. Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, a close ally of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, bought hundreds of luxury properties in London, Dubai and New York, but failed to declare any of them to Bangladeshi tax authorities. Former Lands Minister Gives Guided Tour of His $14 Million London Home; he owns 360 in the UK only. Now Bangladeshi authorities have frozen his bank accounts and are investigating the claims😢😢😢
@edwardwelsh3202
September 19, 2024 at 10:44 am
People love the “give a man a fish …” proverb so much because it stops you from feeling guilty about not giving people fish.
@leeholden6012
September 19, 2024 at 5:16 pm
Excellent again from Rory.
@brianmalloy-y4x
September 19, 2024 at 6:48 pm
Wonderful person, well informed… check out Rory on “the rest is politics” and “leading”
@JimEdwards-i2k
September 19, 2024 at 7:05 pm
One of the few politicians that I have consistently trusted over the years
He’s in it for the right reasons
Forward this Ted Talk to all the people you know and ask them to do the same, let’s help the helpers.