We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I bought the animals which I can now use to cultivate my farm without manually using my own hands using the handheld garden hoe. Initially, I used to cultivate a very small portion of land which at the end of hte day ended up generating very little food for my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my own opinion, I think what GD did in our village was so amazing, it is something that we have never seen before. People bought a lot of livestock and built houses for their families while others were able to pay school fees for their kids very comfortably.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the money on buying one cow and three goats which of course I now rear within my compound with the expectation that they will be of great benefit to me in the future. Apart from that, I also paid school fees for my kids who had some outstanding arrears that I had to offset in good time for them to be allowed to be in school for the rest of the semester.
This area is a very dry region, so I could not have used all the transfers without taking care of the family's food budget.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($544 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am more peaceful and happy. I managed to invest the money I got which I believe will sustain me for the longest time possible. I bought two goats and two bulls. I have already started using the bulls to cultivate my land. Initially, I had to part with a few coins in order to hire someone's bulls so as to help in ploughing my piece of land. The bulls have also reduced the burden of carrying water from the various water points that are normally very far. I improvised a carrier that the bulls can use to carry water and I am happy that now I can collect a number of jerrycans at ago using the bulls unlike before where I could carry only one on my head..
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt very happy the moment I received my transfer. My daughter is the one who read the message and broke the good news about the money that was sent to my account. I could not hold my happiness, I remember jumping up with joy knowing that I would be able to meet most of the pressing needs that I couldn't settle for a long time. I thank Give Directly for full filling their promise. I knew that my life will never be the same the moment I received the money.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
Getting food has been a problem considering that we have eight children. My husband doesn't have a good job and for me, I am a housewife and I have to take care of our little children. I can not look for casual jobs because I have to cook for them when they come back for lunch. I, therefore, decided to spend part of my transfer on buying two goats and two bulls. To me, this is an investment because when they increase in number, I can sell some to pay school fees for my children and take care of my emergencies. I used part of the transfers to pay school fees for my eight children. They could often be sent home for school fee arrears. My husband works very hard but with eight children in school, it has never been easy. At least after paying their fees, they haven't been sent home for a while. I finally spent the remaining amount to buy food that would last us for a while.
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
As a maize farmer, my desire has always been to produce enough amount that is sufficient for domestic consumption, and again be able to sell surplus to the outside market. For us maize is stable food. With the unpredictable weather and harsh climatical conditions coupled with unavailability of proper mode of land tillage, farming has been rendered unproductive. That said, I will use part of my transfers to purchase two oxen and a plough, something I've dreamt of owning for quite some time. Apart from maize farming, I want to diversify into other drought resistant crops like watermelon and cassava. For me, being food secured is my top priority. Currently, I spend a lot of money is purchasing maize flour from shops, something that am capable of producing in my farm. Once I cut the huge expenses I've been incurring on food, other needs of the family like education, health care and clothing will be easily addressed.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day starts at 6 o'clock in the morning. After preparing breakfast for the family, I do general cleaning of the house and the compound. Since water is a big problem here, my morning entails drawing water from a water pan which is situated three kilometers away. It is always a tiring processing, yet again my input is needed in the farm. However, evening makes the happiest part of my day since at this time time my kids are back from school and they are able to assist with other household chores.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of sustainable source of income has been the biggest hardship in my life. My husband who is the sole breadwinner is a taxi driver on casual basis. With the nature of his job, sometimes he is forced to do other manual jobs to put food in the table. Besides, I have four kids who are asthmatic, and we have been in and out of hospital for quite some time. Due to financial constrains, my husband and I have be unable to get them proper medication. Often times, the little income my husband earns is only able to cater for food and partially education. It is my hope that my transfers will lessen the burden we have endured for long.
