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 ($492 USD)
access_time over 3 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 than how it would have been had I not received the transfer. This is because I now live in an iron-roofed kitchen and no longer use the grass thatched one. In addition to this, I now have a separate visitors room and whenever they visit, they will not be sleeping in the kitchen anymore. In addition to this, my children no longer strain in the evening when studying like before when they were using paraffin lamps.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out financial aid to people and I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I spent KES 35,000 to build a more permanent kitchen for my family. This is because my previous one was grass thatched and the roof had to be changed every year and failure to, it would start leaking. This was always costly and also finding grass to purchase nowadays is difficult. Using the remaining amount, I bought a radio, battery for lighting purposes and three sets of seats.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 1pm while in my farm after planting onions that's when I picked up my phone . It's while trying to start betting is when I saw an Mpesa SMS notification and we were filled with joy and doubt with my wife . Just to make sure the money was from GiveDirectly, I headed to my brother's house where I confirmed that the money was indeed the transfers we had been eagerly waiting for. That day the atmosphere in my village was filled with shouts of joy and you could think that the people were drunk.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is building a modern semi permanent house which I had desired to build for long time but couldn't afford because I had overwhelming needs to meet. I can now comfortably accommodate night visitors without a struggle and my kids can sleep more comfortably. The GiveDirectly transfers have also enabled me buy a heifer which will be a source of milk and income for my family in the near future. I am also happy because my house is well furnished because of the sofa set which I just bought unlike before when I used to sit on arm chairs. I am also grateful for fees payment for my daughter who's in campus because we used to rely education loans, merry go round monthly group contribution and bursaries in order to pay school fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 18,000 on building a modern two roomed semi permanent house which is more spacious. This is because the one I had before was old,tiny with grass-thatched roofs and was built over 30 years ago and couldn't accommodate visitors even for a night. I spent KES 11,000 on for payment of school fees for my daughter in campus because I didn't have any source. I also spent KES 6000 on clothing and bedrooms because I didn't have. I also topped up the remainder and bought a heifer because I only had one and will act as a long term investment for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have a kid who is still schooling in tertiary level. She has been depending on higher loans board to lend her some money for school fees. The money is hardly enough to cover for her school fees, accomodation and personal use. With no regular source of income from my side, I intend to use part of this money to offset her school fees since she is in the final academic year. I also intend to start poultry farming with 40 chicken for a start and construct a poultry unit. With these chicken, I will be earning a regular income from the sale of their products.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend most of my daytime in the farm. I grow vegetables, maize, beans and onions. The happiest part of my day is in the morning since this is the time the locals come to my farm to purchase the crops. In doing so, I get cash that I use to sustain my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I rely on subsistence farming to fend for my family. I mostly grow maize, beans, onions and vegetables. The profits I get from the sale of these produce is hardly enough to cater for the basic needs of my family. The biggest challenge for me is raising the school fees for my kids since a large chunk of the profits goes to food. To try and boost my finances, I work as a farmer during daytime and in the evening be a night guard at the nearest fuel station. With no time to rest, I feel my body is taking a toll on me and this for me is the biggest hardship I have ever faced in my life.
