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 almost 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 from how it would have been in that, my sister has now finished her course in tailoring and can be employed and earn her own money. My children have been able to attend school consistently without being sent home for school fees like they used to before and the house renovation is underway. I am a happy woman and proud of this far that GD has enabled me to reach.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, looking at the works that GD has done in my village I see an organization that has brought the transformation of lives and livelihood. Many families' living standards have been uplifted and are now better than they were before. I have not recorded anything that Give Directly has done that is harmful or bad. I see good all through.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfer, I bought goats at Kes 4800 for rearing. I took some amount and paid school fees for my sister who is studying tailoring. She always wanted to venture into tailoring but she did not have resources. The remaining amount I have set aside for house renovation. I want to replace the mud house with a stone house. This will guarantee safety as well as the beauty enhancement of the house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($533 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Owning the livestock to me is the biggest difference in my daily life. The transfer has enabled me to buy a cow and goats. My epectation is that these animals to reproduce and increase in number. Apart from selling in case of a financial need, I will also be benefiting from the milk that this cow will be producing. I will no longer be buying milk elsewhere. I can even sell the surplus to earn some extra cash.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was happy to receive the transfer. For sure, I never imagined that a day would come and get such a fortune in my life. I thanked GiveDirectly for the money.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
My desire has been to own livestock, because these are the only assets that we can easily own. Thus when I received my first transfer, I spent KES 14700 to purchase a cow and two goats at KES 4800. I know I will no longer be buying milk elsewhere, because I now have my own cow. In addition, I also paid KES 4000 for fees, and spent the amount that remained to buy daily basic needs and other household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My husband is working very far away from home in a place known as Garissa.It is so far away such that in a year, he only manages to return home thrice and for only a maximum of two weeks. The painful part is that he only does casual jobs over there and earns at most.ksh.400 on an inconsistent basis. We miss his presence greatly at home in that some decisions and roles that he is required to take up as the man of the house are forced on me. With this transfers, I feel that my greatest wish of having us live together as one family will come true. We will be able to invest in a shop keeping business that my husband will be in charge of. We will also buy some livestock for keeping that I believe will help us in the long run in catering for the education of our children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am happiest in the morning. when I wake up, I normally feel very energetic to tend to most of my household chores.Since we are experiencing shortage of water, I only manage to go to Bamba town during morning hours before the sun gets too hot to fetch around three jerricans.By afternoon,the weather is usually very hostile and I am always too tired to do anything else.Thus morning hours when I am able to perform all my duties marks the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is the biggest hardship that I face.I have no income generating activity and even farming that I used to engage in to balance the scales when money was not there has been greatly affected by lack of rains.We rely solely on what my husband earns for survival.Since he is so far away and I do not even have a phone to communicate with him, at times I am so lost in that him sending us some money is Dependant on me getting it through someone else.I can not even count how many times we have been forced to go to bed hungry due to lack of money to buy food more so when I could not reach him on phone. Seeing my children hungry yet I have no means of buying food for them really hurts me.
