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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($492 USD)
access_time almost 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 in that I am now having a reliable source of living after starting livestock rearing. Currently, I have a herd of 6 local dairy cows and I am planning to start milk vending around the village so that I earn living. Similarly, I will sell the male offspring whenever I face any financial challenge. Furthermore, I was able to get proper medication with the transfer. Finally, I am finalizing the construction of a decent shelter and very soon I will be living in the better house.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well for sending cash transfer which has facilitated the construction of decent shelter and started livestock rearing. Besides, I attained proper training from the field officers before receiving my transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For years, I have desired to start livestock rearing like my other households so that I could rely on whenever I face any financial problem. I spent my transfer to purchase 3 local dairy cows for $400. Moreover, I purchased 14 iron sheets and timbers for the construction of a roof of my new house which I have started with the first transfer. In addition, I felt sick and I spent most of the remaining amount to seek for medical care.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 12 noon when we were taking lunch with my family then my phone started ringing loudly. Since I am illiterate I asked one of my grandson to confirm who it might be. Upon checking, he realized that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy for I knew I would achieve a lot
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 now own a pair of oxen. This has been my long time dream to own them but it was not achievable becasue my spouse and I am old and jobless. Therefore every planting season, I was using my own hands to conduct the excessive, and ploughing a half an acre was not even possible therefore I could not utilize the whole of my farm. This meant that in every harvest season, we would get low yields. Therefore after acquiring my first transfer, I considered this as my first priority. I am now glad because the pair takes fewer days to plough an acre which means I will harvest a lot, also I will be hiring them to my neighbors at a fee and generate an income. This will really boost my living standard courtesy of GiveDirectly
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some livestock such as a pair of oxen. These have been my well thoughtful living assets that o have been longing to keep mainly for my agricultural activities but I could not afford to keep them. I also bought some building materials such as iron sheets, building poles, threads, nails, and timber. This was to replace the temporary small hut that I have been sheltering on for all those years. With the remaing amount of money, I bought sufficient foodstuffs for my family and some other household items that i was lacking.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
An iron-roofed house for myself normally is what always rings in my mind whenever I think of getting a lump sum amount of money. Despite having this great ambition, this has never come through due to the financial crisis. Receiving this money, therefore, means a dream fulfilled because I am now confident that, I will soon have the opportunity to construct a spacious house, and to achieve this, I plan to spend utmost 350 dollars. On the other hand, I also intend to buy more goats to continue with my livestock keeping and I wish to purchase 10 of them at an estimated cost of 30 dollars each. This will mean a great change in my life and obviously, a better life than I have desired for a long time.
What is the happiest part of your day?
If I consider my day, I feel evening as the happiest part because it is at this moment when I get maximum time to rest in my bed. Unlike during the day hours where I spend them in various activities like charcoal burning, a job that drains much of my energy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband is no longer energetic enough to depend on him for my daily food and this means engaging myself in more strenuous work like charcoal burning despite my old age (64 years). Therefore, I am always feeling the lack of a reliable source of income as the biggest hardship that I have faced in my life.
