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 ($517 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I now have more milk. I am also about moving into my new house
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Die well by helping everyone in our village
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfer, I decided to build a decent and spacious house that is more permanent. Also, I bought a wire mesh to use in fencing my compound since I want to start poultry farming and I do not want a scenario where I will not be in good terms with my neighbors due to my chicken destroying their crops.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($541 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am living a better life than before. This is because my family now has enough food for their consumption. Also, I have been able to reduce my daily expenditure as I no longer buy most of the items. This has enabled me to save some money daily that I would otherwise use in buying these items and also the income from milk sales. Also, when I have a visitor, I can easily make them some tea as I now have enough milk unlike before.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was still sleeping at was around 4 am when I received a message notification on my phone. I decided to check and know its contents because I had never received a message at such an hour before. I became so happy after realizing that GiveDirectly had made me richer until I could not go back to sleep anymore. I started singing and praying silently thanking God for the blessings that had just come in.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my first transfer, I bought a dairy cow worth KES 40000. I settled on this so that it would relieve me of the cost of buying milk daily. I am now glad since I no longer buy milk daily instead, I earn an income after selling some to my neighbors. I spent the remaining amount on buying some basic needs for my family. I bought two sacks of maize flour, 25 kg of rice, shoes and clothes for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will help me build another house(two-bedroom house).I want another house because the current one is small and my family is growing.I also want a house which is easier to mantain.I want a house made of timber to replace the mud house that I have.A house with mud walls needs repairs every now and then.This will cost me Ksh 40,000(400 usd).My second plan is buying a dairy cow.I have one cow and when it is not producing milk I am forced to buy milk for consumption.Two cows will ensure a constant supply of milk and more income because this translates to more milk for sale.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend the morning hours till noon in my farm.Working in my farm makes me happy .This is because the farm provides for the family and at the end of the day I feel I have done something constructive.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I did not proceed with my studies past primary school due to lack of school fees.My father was a carpenter but he fell sick at some point and therefore it affected his work.This really affected us since he could not raise enough money for our school fees.I have 7 siblings.I was forced to cut short my studies and my dream of becoming a teacher vanished.I spent the next three years doing casual labour as young as I was(15 years).I got married when I turned 18 years and here I am;still struggling to get enough income to support my family.I believe that if I had continued with my studies I could be a teacher and things could be different.I could be having a stable source of income.
