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
55000 KES ($459 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The money which I received from GiveDirectly enabled me to create my employment. I bought a motorcycle for business and I work as a motorcycle taxi operator and earn approximately KES 400 per day. Before, it wasn't guaranteed that I would earn any as I used to depend on casual jobs which were not regular. With my daily earnings, I try to balance what I get so that I can buy food and pay school fees for my five siblings. Since I am the eldest son, I took up the responsibility of the head of the family after we lost our mother about a year ago.
Once my siblings have all graduated, they will be old enough to look for jobs and work for themselves. For me, I will start up another business so that I would generate income to support my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
To me, GiveDirectly created jobs for most of us. Some youths were on drugs due to idleness and lack of income. Some are now owning businesses, operating motorcycle taxi businesses, rearing livestock and others went back to school.
On the other hand, I didn't see anything that GiveDirectly never did well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My second transfer which I received from GiveDirectly, I spent KES 50000 on paying a deposit for a motorcycle which I obtained so that I would use it for the taxi business. I needed a stable job that can earn some money regularly so that I can afford the needs of my family. The remaining amount of KES 2800, I spent on buying foodstuffs for my family. I am glad that now, I have a regular income that helps me to support my siblings.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($475 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was 6 am and I had just woken up when I thought of checking my phone which I had left on the table the previous night. I saw that I had a new message and on opening it, I was surprised to find out that it was an SMS saying that I had received KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and I thanked God for the blessing. I then waited until 7 am when I was having breakfast with my siblings when I shared the good news with them. They were so happy and we celebrated together. We later on sat down and we started planning on how we were going to spend it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a big difference in our lives as a family. The daily cost that I usually incur, mostly buying maize has reduced. This is because I managed to buy two bags of maize with part of the transfer money which is going to sustain us for a while. As a result, I have managed to save some of the money that I usually make from my hustle.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 7400 of our recent transfer on buying two bags of maize for our consumption. I then took out KES 14000 and I gave each of my seven siblings KES 2000 to use in buying clothes for themselves. I also bought 2 sheep at a total cost of KES 9000. The sheep are our future investment since we can sell some of the offspring when they will have reproduced and multiplied in number to meet some emergencies. I saved the remaining amount and I used it in buying school items and paying school fees for one of my siblings who was joining secondary school. I am the eldest child and I am the one responsible for the needs of the others. I hence usually engage in doing casual work at construction sites to earn a living for them. The money that I get paid is not much, it is only enough to meet the basic needs, that is, to buy food and the essential household items such as sugar, soap, etc. I am thus grateful to GiveDirectly for their great support.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means quality education for my siblings. We are orphans, and I am the one responsible for the six kids left behind by my parents. Three of the siblings are in secondary school and the others are in primary. Since my parents rested, life has been very hard for me. Raising school fees has been a matter of life and death, I sold a small piece of land but could not gather for everything we need. When I receive the transfers I will Pay KES 70,000 upfront for school fees that will see the 3 siblings complete secondary school. KES 20,000 will buy a dairy cow since we do not have one. The remaining amount I will use to buy foodstuffs for the family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last 2 months, The village chief visited our home and came up with good news, the administration decided to give a bursary to the family and that has eased the struggle of raising school fees for the next two months. The bursary cleared KES 40,000 I owed the school for the last year.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is the main challenge we are currently facing. The small piece of land that remained is not productive. Lack of enough rainfall in the area has been the main catalyst of less production. As the head of the family, I do casual jobs so that I can provide for the family of Six. As an orphan and nobody to depend upon, things have been very hard. I earn KES 300 a day when am lucky enough to get a job. The money can not sustain everything in the house and, sometimes we are forced to skip lunch meals so that we have something to take for dinner. At some point, I almost gave up on life since I saw that my siblings were not getting everything they need, and thoughts of becoming suicidal crossed my mind. Later I thank God since have managed to accept that reality and life is moving on.
