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
53150 KES ($422 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I plan to buy at least three goats to raise at home before the end of this year. As time goes on, I'm hoping that they will give birth so that I may milk them and earn money by selling the extra milk to my neighbors. Also, I'll be able to sell them and keep up my children's education.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
We were delighted to welcome GiveDirectly to the community and can verify that they lived up to our expectations in terms of their performance. Everyone, in my opinion, agrees that every household has done a terrific job without bias or discrimination. I have no issues because the financial assistance I received covered the majority of the family expenses I had anticipated.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am the father of four beautiful kids, two of whom are in school. I am the only provider because my wife is currently unemployed. I run a little business that buys and sells charcoal in the marketplace. I went to my in-laws' house after obtaining my second transfer to give a $250 dowry for my wife. My children's school tuition had piled to $50, so I had to pay it in order for them to continue their education. I spent $100 on some furnishings and utensils in addition to new clothing for my family to replace the old, worn-out ones. I replenished my supply of food and consumables with the remaining $130, and I also set aside some for daily use.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember the day vividly; it was at 4pm when I was just resting at home from my daily hustles when I heard a message tone in my phone. Upon checking, it was the first transfer from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with happiness since I was very much stranded because my business was not moving as it used to move, I was struggling a lot.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Initially I was struggling so much in making ends meet. In my charcoal business, I used to supply them using a bicycle which was very tiresome and also I could only carry at most 2 sacks due to the distance where I was taking them. This inconvenienced me a lot. But when I got the transfer from GiveDirectly, I managed to repair my motorbike and I am now conveniently and comfortable doing my supplying job with easy. This couldn’t be possible if it were not for the GiveDirectly organization.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The first thing that I did was repairing my motorbike which had broken down. Initially, I used the motorbike in my business of Supplying sack of charcoals from one client to another since they lived far away from where I was making the charcoal. When it broke down I had to use a bicycle which was hectic and difficult. In respect to that, I took KES 15000.00 and repaired the motorbike. I also bought some stock of food for my family and some clothes so that they also feel the presence of GiveDirectly. Thereafter, my father became sick and I used the remaining amount for his medication but unfortunately he passed on.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Getting this money means a secure and proper shelter for my family. Currently, I live in a small house covered with grass on the roof. This kind of a house is not safe for my family since any kind of fire broke out can completely destroy everything. Again, this house does not guarantee good shade during rainy season. Therefore, my plan to put up a two roomed house will provide my family a safe and secure place to live in. I intend to use approximately 20000KES.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In September this year, I made a huge sale of my charcoal which gave me around 10000KES. From this amount I was able to buy school uniforms for those who had none and replace for those who had torned uniforms. This really boosted their morale for education and as a parent I also felt motivated and happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I currently faced hard challenge of food insecurity and clothes for my family
My job is making charcoal which gives me sometimes like 3000KES a month. This amount has never been enough to buy adequate food for my family to have three meals a day. Sometimes my children miss school because they don't have anything to eat.
Clothes for my family is another headache especially my children who play with patched clothes or even without. This this has affected my dignity as a parent to see visitors come to see my children play without clothes. All these challenges are as a result of my unreliable source of income because the charcoal business depend on demand and supply. For those who have a motorbike, they can take the charcoal to towns like mariakani or mombasa and make quick sales. But for me who have a bicycle, it's quite challenging to transport the charcoal to towns like Mariakani or Mombasa.
