What’s the best way to lift people out of poverty? (Level 1)

In 2018, a group tried a new way to help a poor village in Kenya. They gave every adult $500. This was a large amount of money for the villagers. The group did not tell them how to spend it. In the past, charities usually gave food, job training, or school supplies instead of cash. They thought people might waste money. However, the results in Kenya were very good. Two years later, businesses in the village made more profit. Families had more food and saved more money. Children did better in school, and there was less violence. This method is called "direct cash giving." It works because people know what they need the most. One person might need to fix their house, while another needs to pay for school. This experiment showed that trusting people is often the best way to solve poverty.