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 ($456 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My new goal now is to save some money from the work that I do as a primary school teacher. I will use the money to build a better and more spacious house for my family. We live in a small old house which cannot host all the family comfortably.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well in that most of the people who received the transfer spent it well. Most invested in dairy keeping project, build better houses, paid school fees for their children in various schools while other started small businesses that earns them daily income. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 45,000 on purchasing a dairy cow. I had never owned a dairy cow before, I used to get milk from my parents. I have a piece of land and my wish was to buy a dairy cow. This was not possible before because I did not have the money. The small amount I would get was only for basic needs and school fees. I did not have an extra amount to buy a dairy cow. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I purchase a dairy cow. I no longer depend on my parent like before. My children get enough milk unlike before. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfill my dream. I wish to improve this and make it my main source of income since I will be selling the extra milk to earn an income.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 7 am while taking breakfast when I heard a message alert on my phone. On checking, I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was very happy and withdrew the money three days later.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the transfers is the payment of school fees for my daughter who just joined high school. This wouldn't be possible before because from my teaching job I normally get a salary of KES 4,000. This normally caters to household expenses.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a mother of one and a widow for the past five years. I normally rely on my teaching and small-scale farming to feed my family.
When I received my transfers I spent KES 22,000 on a 3,000 liters water tank. This will help me in the storage of clean rainy water because the one I had was leaking. It also had a small storage capacity. Additionally, fetching water after work was quite cumbersome.
Secondly, I also spent KES 12,000 on two goats. This will act as an investment towards the payment of school fees for my kids.
Thirdly, I spent KES 18, 000 on payment of this term's school fee for my daughter who just joined high school.
For the rest, I spent KES 2,000 on sugar and rice. This has helped sustain my family and reduce household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I lost my husband some years back and all the burden of the family has been on my shoulder since then. I am an ECD teacher in a nearby school on casual terms. I am happy I have this since it has enabled us to meet our needs. I live in old structures that were built by my husband before he passed on. I have always wished to renew them but the little resources have not given me a chance. I earn approximately KES 5000 a month which only cater to our daily needs. To me, receiving this cash means a decent home. I am planning to use KES 30000 to build an iron-roofed house to replace my old mad-walled house. This is an achievement that I will always be proud of. I will have ended the hard work of repairing broken walls day in day out.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My family's basic needs are always my priority. I engage in casual jobs and mixed farming to enable me to provide for my family. It is just this month when I harvested 5 sacks of maize. This brought joy in my life since I am assured of the daily bread. I cut the cost of daily expenditures thus have some savings for future needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability is the major challenge I am currently facing. I am a widow with one child currently in class six. Some years back I went to college to pursue a certificate course in early childhood development to secure a job. After spending much of my savings on this, I have not gotten a good job to earn me back. The much I earn currently I spend on my daily household needs.
