在马拉威的 Kamala 村庄，19 岁的 Yonas Fote 和裁缝师 William Mwacho 等人正在参与一项名为 GiveDirectly 的大型无条件现金发放实验。该计划向当地约 23 万名成年人每人发放约 700 美元，让他们可以自由运用这笔相当于当地人均年产值的资金。这项由 Canva 共同创办人主力赞助的计划，旨在测试直接给予穷人现金，是否能促使他们发挥创业精神并活络地方经济，进而减少未来对传统援助的依赖。

当地居民的实际行动打破了外界对于现金会被挥霍的疑虑。许多受益者利用这笔钱开创小生意，例如 Fote 设立了简易电影院，Mwacho 购买电动缝纫机来应付激增的订单，还有人贩售冷饮小吃或准备饲养家禽。此外，不少村民也将资金投入改善生活环境，像是将茅草屋顶换成波浪铁皮，或是为房屋进行粉刷与整修，甚至申请连接电网，展现出强烈的改善生活与脱贫意愿。

相较于过去二十年来成效不彰的百亿美元传统援助，直接发放现金被证实是更具成本效益的扶贫方式。研究指出，这项计划中每发放一美元，就能在两年半内创造 2.50 美元的经济活动，且几乎不会引发通货膨胀。这种让资金直接交到需要者手中的模式，不仅避免了高昂的行政与物流成本，更成功赋权当地居民，让他们能根据自身最迫切的需求，自主决定未来的发展方向。

In the village of Kamala, Malawi, residents like 19-year-old Yonas Fote and tailor William Mwacho are participating in a massive unconditional cash transfer experiment run by GiveDirectly. The program provides about $700—roughly equivalent to the country's annual per-capita economic output—to around 230,000 adults to spend however they choose. Heavily funded by the co-founders of Canva, the initiative aims to test whether giving cash directly to people in extreme poverty can spur entrepreneurial activity and reduce reliance on traditional aid.

The actions of the recipients effectively dispel concerns that the direct cash would be squandered. Many are using the funds to start or expand small businesses, such as Fote's makeshift cinema and Mwacho's purchase of an electric sewing machine to meet surging orders, while others sell snacks or plan to raise livestock. Furthermore, numerous villagers are investing in home improvements, replacing thatch with corrugated iron roofs, plastering walls, or connecting to the electricity grid, demonstrating a strong drive to improve their living standards.

Compared to the billions in traditional aid that have left Malawi's poverty rate stagnant over the past two decades, direct cash transfers are proving to be a highly efficient alternative. Research indicates that every dollar distributed generates $2.50 in local economic activity over 30 months with minimal inflation. By bypassing the high administrative and logistical costs of conventional charity, this model empowers individuals to address their own most pressing needs and independently shape their economic futures.