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 ($435 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In the next two years, I hope to have figured out means to get myself a job that will continue supporting my family now that we have solved one of our major problem which was a decent home.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, giving everyone transfers in the village was not just a huge financial solution, but it was also a way of making sure there is no conflicts between those who got and those who didn't get the transfers, and this boosted our freedom and flexibility when using the money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Since I have never owned a house, I decided to use my second transfer to built one, the house consist of two rooms and we spent about ksh 25000 on it, this is good enough for a family of six.
Our previous home was more of a temporary structure with no security and too small for six adults, so this was definitely a huge milestone for us.
With ksh 10000 , I was able to settle school fees arrears for three primary school children at least for one year and saved ksh 18000 so that we can have enough money to buy us food for the next three months.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($486 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home resting in the compound when I suddenly heard my phone ringing hence notifying me of a message. It was a money message and I wondered to myself asking who could have thought of sending me some money. I opened the message and to my surprise, it was the SMS indicating that I had received the promised transfer of KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy on seeing this that I immediately informed my wife and children who were at home. They were so happy on hearing the piece of good news and we celebrated together.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a very big difference in our lives. We were able to buy two calves with part of the transfer. We now have some property that is going to be of great benefit to us in the future. We are going to take care of them and when they calve, we will sell milk and use the money from the sale proceeds on other developments such as paying school fees for our children. Thank you so much GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my first transfer money on building another house. We decided to use it on building another house because the one that we used to live in had grown old and it was grass-thatched. We had always wanted to build another but due to a lack of money, we were not in a position to. We do not have stable jobs, my wife and I depend on casual jobs to earn a living. The little money that we get paid most of it usually goes to the purchase of food for our consumption. We usually experience drought in our area and this is what usually makes the maize crops not do well. As a result, there is increased demand for food. We now have a new house and hence we no longer have to worry about where to get the money for construction. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for enabling us to achieve our goal, may God bless you.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Milk is in high demand and a cash cow in our area. This inspires me to venture into dairy farming and tap more income for my family through the production and sale of milk. With this money I see light at the end of the tunnel, I will plan KES 60000 to buy two dairy cows and jumpstart this business. Our kitchen is in a poor condition as leaks from the roof during the rainy season, this has been giving me pressure and sleepless nights on how to get money to build a new kitchen. The challenge of money comes in handy since what my wife earns from a casual job is little about KES 400 daily. This is not enough for us to buy food or even save. With the support of this money, I will use KES 30000 to build a better kitchen for my family. The struggle of providing food for the family nudges me to prioritize buying food and clothing's to the family and live a better life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
With my health condition, I was forced to do light duties making it hard for me to secure any job to earn a living. This brought a lot of frustrations to me as I could no longer give my wife a helping hand. My condition and struggle were highlighted and brought attention to the county government of Bomet who came to my aide. They engaged me with the cleaning program of Siongiroi Center, this has transformed my life now that I would bring something to the table for the family. This rejuvenates my long-lost happiness.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It was well until early 2018 when my health deteriorated and later turned to be stroke which paralyzed parts of my body. This left me with less to do in providing for the family forcing my wife to step in as a family's sole breadwinner. This has derailed us financially making us experience perennial food shortages and struggle to provide for the household. Skipping meals and using less preferred food is the order of the day for us.
