Ten Years, $20 Million, And Our First Trip To See Any Of It

Humanitix turned ten this year. In that time we have given away more than $20 million AUD, all of it from booking fees on tickets to festivals, gala dinners, conferences and school events.

In July, eight of the longest-serving members of the Humanitix team flew to Malawi to see the real impact of our work on the ground for the very first time. With almost seven decades of hard work between us, it marked an incredibly special milestone and a trip of a lifetime.

The Humanitix team at the Sydney Airport on our first impact trip. From left: James, Jeremy, Josh, Jenny, Jake, Ryan, Adam, Sam.

Since 2023, Humanitix has been funding the work of GiveDirectly. To put it simply, GiveDirectly transfers cash to people living in extreme poverty, no strings attached. It’s a concept that still makes people uncomfortable or suspicious: there are no conditions, instructions or restrictions on how to spend it.

The discomfort is worth sitting with, because it rests on an assumption: that people living in poverty cannot be trusted to know what they need. However, decades of rigorous research consistently show that putting cash directly in the hands of people living in extreme poverty is one of the most efficient, transparent, and dignified ways to create lasting change. It was time for us to see this in person, and what we found were people who had known exactly what the problem was for years, and had been short of nothing but the money to fix it.

Adam, Sam and Jeremy en route to Malawi

Journey to Malawi

Three flights and over 30 hours of travel to set foot in Malawi. On the morning of our first full day, we met with the GiveDirectly team at their Lilongwe Head Office and spoke with partners like the International Food Policy Institute (IFPRI). The discussions were eye-opening and gave us great insight into the wider agricultural ecosystem and the socio-economic struggles faced by Malawians nationwide.

Malawi is having a hard year. The country is in debt distress, fuel is scarce, prices are high, and unemployment is severe enough that a lot of young people are leaving for South Africa. Our briefing before the trip did not soften any of this.

We then hit the road to travel six hours to Blantyre. The journey gave us a long, slow look at the country before any of the village visits began.

Roadside scenes on the way to Blantyre

Meeting the recipients

On our second day, we visited villages that were funded by Humanitix 12 months ago. In January 2025, over 80,000 people in Chiradzulu district received ~$550-$700 USD (equivalent to 1-2 years of income). This year, over 45,000 people are expected to receive similar amounts in Phalombe district.

From our previous donations, we had reached over 3,750 recipients across 15 villages - wild numbers to comprehend. It was time to meet some of these recipients face-to-face. We broke out into small groups and visited recipient households to learn about what they had done with the cash. Here are some of the stories we heard that have stayed with us.

A rainproof shelter

Ndiyani and her husband had spent years under a leaking roof.

“Every rainy season was stressful because we never knew what would happen. One time, I came back from casual work and found that the little maize flour we had left had been soaked by rainwater. I just cried because I did not know what we were going to eat.

That is when we decided to build a new house with burnt bricks and iron sheets. This rainy season was completely different. We could sit inside and listen to the rain hitting our new roof. It felt so good.”

Ndiyani’s new house on the left, old on the right

A reliable toilet

Henderson spent his on a toilet, because the old one collapsed every rainy season, and he had spent three years frightened that one of his children would fall in.

“When GiveDirectly came and gave me the opportunity to receive an unconditional cash transfer, the first thing I thought about was building a toilet that would last. Some people may not understand why a toilet was my priority, but for me, it was something that affected my family every year. I used about $280 to dig a six-metre pit and build a stronger toilet structure.”

Henderson receiving a disposable camera from Sam to document his life

After improving his sanitation, he went back to welding windows and frames for people who were building houses in the village, finally having the means to upgrade their housing. From this work he was able to turn that into roughly $520 of income, which he then used to buy maize for the lean season, fertiliser, rent land for farming, and support his family.

The bull called ‘Give’

When three people in their household received transfers, Esterly and Eliyasi bought a bull to breed their dairy cow and make additional income on renting him out to other dairy farmers. They named him ‘Give’, after GiveDirectly.

They also bought a motorcycle which saved them money on transport, and solar lights, which they talked about with more enthusiasm than almost anything else.

“Our house is now well lit at night. We can sit outside and relax for as long as we want. We can cook at night without any problems because we have lighting. We no longer pay to charge our phones because the solar system can charge them too. That means we are saving money on charging costs. GiveDirectly has changed our lives.”

Visiting the markets

We also visited the Milepa market in Chiradzulu to see how the cash injection in the nearby villages have impacted businesses.

Bedding and an improved tomato stall

Emily used to sell tomatoes and onions on the floor, which meant less visibility and sales, and produce would often go bad quickly especially in the rain. Since receiving cash, she has built a permanent bench under an iron-sheet roof, allowing her to continue selling even during the rainy season. She was also able to expand her stock to include sorghum and millet flour. She also bought bedding with the leftover funds:

“I still remember the first time my children slept in the warm beddings we bought after receiving money from GiveDirectly. They were so comfortable that they overslept, and I had to wake them for school. They told me the warmth of the blankets kept them glued to their mats. Honestly, I felt the same way.”

Rebuilding from the ground up

Lameck was a shop owner selling almost everything, from iron sheets, cement and clothes to groceries, bicycles, spare parts and chickens. His success made him a target, and he was the victim of an armed robbery, with a bullet just missing him and striking the wall.

In 2021, life became difficult, and he resorted to selling things and taking money from the business to pay for his children’s school fees. The shop slowly emptied, and he lost weight as he could no longer afford enough food.

“Givedirectly’s support gave me a chance to rebuild. With the first $35, I restocked bottled water, soft drinks and body lotion. With the second $720, I invested in iron sheets, clothes, kitchen utensils, mattresses, bicycle spare parts, chairs and groceries. My daily sales have risen from less than $40 to $280 or more. Customers are returning, and my hope is coming back.

I plan to stock more bicycles, cement and essential goods, restart chicken farming, and strengthen security with sensors and two guards. I also plan to send my child to college this September. The bullet mark reminds me that I survived.

Today, my busy shop reminds me that I am rising again.”

Doubling sales at a restaurant

Before receiving the cash, Malita’s restaurant was struggling. She only got a few customers because the restaurant had uncomfortable chairs, and the food was often served cold. With the cash transfer, Malita bought new tables and chairs, as well as large food warmers to keep meals hot. She also invested some of the money back into the business, which allowed her to add goat meat to the menu.

“Since making these improvements, I have seen more customers coming to my restaurant. My daily sales have doubled from as little as $12-16 to at least $32. I am very happy with the growth and believe the support has made a big difference to my business.”

What kept surfacing

Throughout these conversations we found ourselves relating to the recipients in an unexpected way. Despite the very different lives we led, we saw that they cared deeply about their families and loved ones. They had hope about the future and their children’s lives. There were love stories, moments of joy sitting outside after dark, naming an animal after something you are fond of, and being cosy under a warm blanket on a rainy day. Their connections drove them to keep doing their best, even in the harsh circumstances they were living through.

“What was surprising, and unsurprising at the same time, was our shared humanity that was immediately obvious in these conversations.

One of the questions we were trying to answer through our trip was ‘What happens when you give cash to people in poverty, no strings attached?’ The answer that emerged is that they spend it on things to improve the lives of their loved ones, whether it be in the form of warmth and comfort, food on the table, or school fees to invest in a better future.

And despite all the hardship and suffering they face, there are also moments of joy, laughter, and shared connections that fill their cups and keep them moving forward.”

Reflecting on the trip

To round off the trip, we took on the three-day hike up Mt Mulanje, the highest peak in Malawi. It was an invigorating way to reflect on our experiences, the people we've met, and the things we have felt throughout our visit.

The team with our hiking guide Oliver Andrys during our Mulanje hike

During the hike we regaled our highlights, lowlights and funny tales from our time at Humanitix. We took in the fact that merely 15 years ago after Adam and Josh’s pact in Sri Lanka, we were now standing on a different mountain on the other side of the world. Between these two moments, there was now a global ticketing platform, a proven social enterprise, and over $20 million given away begetting countless lives touched and stories like we heard that week. Our hearts were filled with amazement, wonder, gratitude - and hope and excitement for what’s to come next.

Where this all comes from

Every ticket sold on Humanitix carries a booking fee, same as any other ticketing platform. We have no shareholders, so the profit from those fees goes out the door to partners like GiveDirectly, who in turn pass on the cash to recipients in dire need.

Nobody buying a ticket to a comedy night or a music gig is thinking about the villages in Malawi. That is rather the point. The money moves whether or not anyone feels inspired on the day, which turns out to be a more reliable mechanism than good intentions.

A massive thank you to our community of event hosts, attendees and supporters that keep Humanitix going. Without you, these cash transfers and stories of hope would not have been possible.

Hosting an event? Your booking fees could be doing this.