EIGHT and without conditions: a development project out of the norm

Giving money to people in extreme poverty with no strings attached seems to be a rather unusual way to help people in need but has proven positive impact through EIGHT.

The first pilot project ran in Busibi, Uganda, between 2017 - 2018, where each inhabitant received monthly cash transfers: €16 per adult and €8 per child. A basic cell phone was the only means needed to enable mobile money transfers. Such an initiative drove the population to build confidence and undertake their own decisions in starting something for themselves. A chicken farm or shops in the village are some of the promising results which in consequence have made more people willing to send their children to school.

Therefore, in 2021, a second pilot project kicked-off in Lutala, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), focusing on people living in Artisanal Scale Mining (ASM) communities to find out if with unconditional cash transfers inhabitants can be given other choices and a meaningful change. Even though the DRC is one of the richest countries in terms of mineral wealth, it does not contribute to local development and is particularly affected by poverty. ASM extraction in the DRC is often related as a matter of survival and these activities too often entail child labor and unacceptable practices in terms of health and safety. Umicore as part of its sustainable and ethical sourcing commitment also supports EIGHT through its own donations joining forces with Proximus on the Don't Miss the Call urban mining campaign.