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 ($528 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?
My life is different in that I have acquired household items such as seats and utensils that I did not have in the past. I am happy since I no longer borrow seats from my neighbor whenever I have visitors. I have also acquired a piece of land using my transfers. I was living in a small piece of land and it was not enough to do farming and at times I was forced to lease land from other people. This was expensive and it is my joy since I no longer lease the land and I can now save the money that I could have used in leasing the land and use to meet other family basic needs. I also have a spacious house that accommodate all my family members comfortably.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give Directly does well by giving money to poor households to uplift their living standards. I do not see anything that Give Directly does not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I used my second transfer to extend my house. I was living in a small house and could not accommodate all my family members. We use to squeeze in a small room with my children but I am now happy since I have a spacious house to accommodate all my family members. I also used part of my transfers to buy sofa sets since for a long time I have been borrowing seats from my neighbor whenever I have visitors and this was an embarrassment. I used the remaining amount to buy utensils since I have been using old ones.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($536 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
No one can give you such cash for free. Our standard of living has improved and we pray that God will bless GiveDirectly. We now own our piece of land and will be able to have some independence as a family. This is the biggest difference in my daily life and I am happy. May God bless GiveDirectly and add you more.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
When the month began, I became an early riser in expectation of the funds. I kept checking my phone first thing in the morning each day hoping to see some good news of cash from GiveDirectly. The D-day finally came. I was elated and grateful for sure.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
We used the first transfer that GiveDirectly sent me to buy a piece of land and building materials to extended a wing in our house because it is small - we felt we needed more space. We bought timber and wood. We are currently digging the foundation and in a week's time it will be done.
We bought the piece of land because our ancestral land is squeezed and we all live here. We will be carrying out our farming activities on the new space.
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money is a great opportunity for our family.We have always wanted to venture into large scale poultry farming these transfers are going to help a great deal.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning.Waking up to a healthy and happy family gives me immesuarable joy in the morning.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is lack of college fees.I joined college to study early childhood education in 2015 but graduating has been a dream due to lack of college fees.I have had to resort to casual labour inorder to raise my fees and they are hardly enough.
