We live in rural Uganda and each received $1,000, no strings attached, from GiveDirectly. Ask Us Anything.

What have been the impacts of other nonprofits to your villages in the past?

Charles: I have not received any donations from any other NGOs except for the nets given out by the government which have helped us.

How long is the charge like in one of them nokia badboys?

Betty Akello: It takes me about 30 minutes to fill my battery. It lasts for about 3 days.

Does it have Snake?

Betty Akello: It does! It actually has the game of Snake on it and keeps the children playing with it.

What do you think of the people who donate to you? What do you think of Americans in general?

On the people who donate:

Betty Akello: I would like those people to live forever and ever.

Charles: If there is a way, my feeling is for them to come to my village and I would give them chicken to say thank you for everything they’ve done for us.

Betty Auma: I would like God to bless them abundantly so they can continue supporting everyone in need and take care of them.

How would you compare the impact of a program like GiveDirectly with other charity efforts, and do you think this will be a model for UBI in the first world later?

What kind of overhead costs does GiveDirectly have compared with normal charities?

Charles: It is possible to use this program as a model program because we’ve already tested the model and people have already received the money. They are already organized. And they can receive money for long periods of time.

Have the transfers caused envy in the community?

Betty Akello: They are happy because many people benefited from the money.

Charles: Those who didn’t get were not angry. Those who were not eligible to get the money understood why.

Have you saved any of the transfer?

Charles: As soon as I learned GD was coming to our village, I had already started planning what I’d like to do with the money. I already knew what I wanted - I wanted to buy land, houses. As soon as the money came, it was just a matter of buying those things. No I did not save any money.

Betty Auma: Even before I learned I was a recipient, I wanted to buy my cows and a household [of items]. When I received the money, I just started planning how to buy these things. No I didn’t save any money.

Betty Akello: Since already my aim was to buy my own plot of land. As soon as I became a recipient, I thought about how to buy a plot of land. No I did not save any money.

Another question from Paolo Cisneros on facebook: "For all three, have these transfers allowed you to work toward longer term goals that would have otherwise been the case? If so, what are those goals?"

Charles: These transfers have helped us make longer term plans. Why? Because now we’ve got the money, you buy the land, grow something, and know that at the end of the season, you’ll have something to eat. The transfers have made it possible for me to start planning for my children’s futures so that they can finish their education and get ahead in their life.

Betty Akello: These transfers have given me the thought that I need to plan for my children. I would like to build an iron roof on my house on the plot of land that I’m planning to purchase.

Question from Tam Sue on facebook: "Do you feel the transfers have helped your community become more connected in a positive sense?"

Betty Auma: Because the transfers of GD have helped people, we don’t have any more quarrels in the village because people are more cooperative.

Betty Akello: People are more peaceful because there are those with motorbikes which they use for business. Then there are those who sleep in iron roof houses - there are no more reasons for quarrels.

How did you feel when you first found out that you could receive money from GiveDirectly? Was there anything that you wanted to use the money for right away, but changed your mind about?

Charles: My first thought was to build grass thatched houses and that’s what I did.

Betty Akello: My first thought was to buy a plot of land with the money and that’s what I did with the money I received.

Betty Auma: My first thought was to build an iron roofed house and that’s exactly what I did because the grass thatched house was a little bit complicated for me.

Charles: I was so happy, I was overjoyed to learn that I was going to be a recipient of these transfers.

Greetings!

I was wondering: how have the cash transfers impacted you and your loved ones emotionally? We often assess the impact in terms of measurable qualities but it would be lovely to hear about the less tangible elements. Does it lead to greater harmony within your inner circle? Do you feel much more at ease? Is it fair to say that the cash transfers facilitate a sense of well being?

Thank you all for doing this AMA :)

Charles: This money has helped us and we are happier because we had money to buy 4 cows, to raise my children better, I have bought land. Generally the whole family is in a better place. I feel relaxed enough because now the children are drinking milk.

Is it better to give 100 people $10 or 1 person $1000?

Charles: It will be better to give 1 person 3.5 million Ugandan shillings [$1000] so I can plan better for the future.

Betty Auma: It will be better to give one person [$1000] because that means someone can do what they desire as opposed to just receiving [$10] and not doing anything with it.

To the general question "how did you spend your transfer":

Auma: I spent my first transfer on household items. I bought a mattress, a bed, and piglets. The next transfer I spent on buying land.

Charles: I spent my first money on buying house. The next money on cows and last transfer on land.

Akello: So I spent the first money on household items like mosquito nets, mattress, bed. Next money on building a house. Last transfer I received was on completing my house and medical bills.

Hi - how much have you been helping people from neighbouring villages?

Charles: I’m helping them in such a way where on my land, I started up a small business and have extended the products and services to them because I serve things like posho to them, and that is good. I sell merchandise like corn flour, books, sugar, like that.

Question from Paolo Cisneros on facebook: "Have your transfers had an effect on your mental health or stress levels?"

Betty Auma: This money has helped me to relax. I’m not as stressed as I was. Now I have money to buy things for the house. I have money to pay the bills. When I conceived, I was sick and it helped me pay my medical bills.

Question from Brenna Adel on facebook: "if you were able to create your own program to help your community, would it look like givedirectly? or do you have other ideas that you think would better help your circumstances?"

Betty Akello: I would do more or less the same as GD. When funds come, I would distribute them equally with all the members so no one is cheating the other.

Charles: The beauty of GD is that they give money straight into recipients hands. Though if I was to start an organization, it would be different.

Another question from Jon David Lutz on facebook: "Any plans to for solar electricity, m-Kopa?"

Betty Auma: I have not heard about M-Kopa/Solar yet.

Betty Akello: Right now, I do not have the money to buy but as soon as I get the money, I would like to get solar in my house.

Charles: It would be a good idea because when I build my iron roofed house. I would like to have light in it and solar is a very good idea. I have heard about M-Kopa and when I have money I will go to them to buy solar materials.

Does everybody in the village know that you received the money and how much?

Betty Auma: The whole village knows that I received money and that I received 3.5million shillings.