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 ($427 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With the driving skills that I have, I have been hoping to obtain a tractor that would come in handy both in improving my farming practices, and also an additional source of income since I will be ploughing other people's lands and weeding their vast lands using the tractor. Even though I am still paying school fees for my two children among other household demands, I hope to improve my farming activities that will, in turn, earn me more income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did a great job in our village through the generous transfer that we received and spent in any way we saw fit. This freedom enhanced independent decisions informed by the challenges we had in our households. We got a clear understanding of the project from the initial meetings in enrollment and we hope the same approach would be used in other villages that are yet to receive the transfers.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was living in an old hut that I have always wished to renovate but the other financial obligations I had could not allow when I received the first transfer. Upon receiving the second transfer, I spent $260 on buying construction materials that include 14 iron sheets, gravel, wood, and also paid the labor charges. I also spent $12 on paying school fees for my two children currently in primary school. Even though I have driving skills, I have been dependent on subsistence farming whose surplus has been useful in settling other household bills. I later bought a dairy cow at $14 that I hope to provide us with enough milk when it calves. I am grateful for the timely generous support when I was at the verge of selling part of my land to use in building a new house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($477 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had just woken up when my brother came and informed me that he had already received his transfer from GiveDirectly and was planning to go and cash it out. It was at this time that I decided to check and confirm if I had also received mine. My heart was filled with joy upon reading the Mpesa message that I had already received. I was in high spirits all week as it was my first time owning such an amount without selling any of my assets.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to start building a kitchen for my family and buy a three-seater seat. This would not have been possible on my own due to the lack of finances. Currently, I am happy that we will enjoy our privacy very soon since we will not be sharing a room with our children anymore as they will be sleeping in the kitchen.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We've been living in a small one-room house that I have been sharing with my two children. We had no privacy as parents and people would also know everything that we own at a glimpse. I am happy that with the transfer, I was able to spend KES 27000 building a kitchen for my family. My children will be sleeping in the kitchen while we sleep in our current house and enjoy our privacy. Apart from this, I spent KES 3000 on the purchase of a small water tank to use in storing water for domestic use, the same amount on a three-seater seat since I did not have any, and used the remaining amount on food and clothes for my family. I am a tractor driver and I am paid depending on the work that I have done since I am paid KES 200 per acre of land that I have tilled. I am happy that GiveDirectly enabled me to achieve what would have taken me ages to achieve on my own.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I shall be able to start a small business that will provide my household with a little monthly income. I am happy because I already have the necessary skills to run a business because am currently employed by my elder brother to run a kiosk dealing in household goods for him. He usually gets a profit of KES.8,000 monthly but pays me only KES. 2,000. This usually strains my household expenditure because we only spend on food, no savings or expenditure on development. This explains why we only have this single house which serves as the kitchen,the lounge and the bedroom. With your transfers though, we are hopeful that the moment we spend it on starting this business it will help us develop more, because we shall build a house and own livestock which is a good asset for any household here.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My youngest child started schooling last year October and at first I was worried about how he'll cope up with school. To my surprise he seemed to enjoy school a lot and sometimes he could ask us to take him on weekends. This gave me a lot of happiness because I know he's getting a good foundation for his education.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The main challenge that we are facing is insufficient income that we get. This has brought about the challenge of the poor housing conditions because we cannot afford to build a new house. The needs of our children have kept increasing over time and the cost of living is going up. This worries me because my salary is not going to change for the better any time soon but at least when we start our own business we can use the little skills I have to grow it and change our future.
