Rwanda, GiveDirectly Sign $150M Pact to Fight Poverty

24, Feb-2026 Mugisha John

The Rwandan government and international NGO GiveDirectly signed a five-year agreement Thursday to accelerate poverty reduction efforts across the country. The Poverty Acceleration Co-Financing Basket Fund Framework Agreement aims to mobilize more than $150 million to help citizens lift themselves out of poverty.

GiveDirectly provides direct cash transfers to vulnerable households, enabling them to invest in livelihoods such as livestock, small businesses, and home improvements. The partnership will expand district-level programs and cash-based graduation initiatives, targeting five districts with the highest concentration of poor households.

The goal is to reduce poverty in these areas by 25%, in line with Rwanda’s Second National Strategy for Transformation (#NST2).

Since 2016, GiveDirectly has distributed over 63 billion Rwandan francs to more than 147,000 households in 17 districts, working closely with the Ministry of Local Government. The NGO delivers funds directly via mobile money, bypassing intermediaries, allowing recipients to make independent investment decisions.

The agreement reinforces Rwanda’s ongoing collaboration with GiveDirectly to tackle extreme poverty, with past programs showing that nearly 98% of recipients invested the funds in productive activities. Officials say the expanded partnership will help more families achieve sustainable economic growth and improved livelihoods.