ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF UNCONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION BY GIVEDIRECTLY A STUDY OF KHONGONI VILLAGE, LILONGWE DISTRICT, MALAWI.

This study assesses the impact of unconditional cash transfers on poverty alleviation, focusing on the Give Directly program in Khongoni Village, Lilongwe District, Malawi. Unconditional cash transfers have gained increasing attention as a development intervention aimed at improving household welfare by providing beneficiaries with direct financial support without usage restrictions. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from beneficiary households. The findings indicate that the Give Directly cash transfer program had a positive impact on poverty reduction by improving household income stability, food security, access to education and healthcare, and investment in small-scale productive activities. Beneficiaries reported enhanced financial autonomy and an improved ability to cope with economic shocks compared to non-beneficiaries. However, the study also identified challenges such as rising local prices, limited financial literacy among some recipients, and concerns about the sustainability of benefits after the program period. Overall, the study concludes that unconditional cash transfers are an effective short- to medium-term poverty alleviation strategy in rural Malawi when complemented with financial education and broader development initiatives. The findings contribute to policy discussions on social protection programs and provide evidence to support the scaling up of cash transfer interventions in similar contexts. The program also fostered community resilience by enabling households to rebuild assets, reduce reliance on informal borrowing, and improve overall wellbeing and social inclusion within the village. Additionally, the intervention influenced household decision-making patterns, encouraging long-term planning and modest savings, while strengthening beneficiaries’ confidence in managing resources and participating more actively in local economic and social activities and strengthened long-term household resilience.