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 ($465 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?
At the time of my enrolment in the GiveDirectly program, my original plan was to use my transfers to acquire a parcel of land. I have not been having my own piece of land except for the place where I built my home. I am so excited that I managed to acquire 0.3 acres of land at 120,000 KES courtesy of GiveDirectly's transfers. In addition to this goal, I recently developed another plan of buying new sets of clothes for my children as well as buying additional household utensils. I prioritized this because the ones we used to have were very old hence unpresentable. At times I could feel uncomfortable using them.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
All through my life, I had been having a dream of owning a parcel of land. However, this could not work for me since I did not have a reliable source of income. This has therefore come to pass courtesy of GD transfer. I thus hold onto an opinion that GiveDirectly does so well in giving direct transfer to the most deserving recipients like me. As a result, a number of recipients from my village have managed to accomplish much in their life. There is nothing that I have so far observed that GiveDirectly does not do right.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
In the past, my family had been owning just two cows because I had not been able to acquire more. However, due to increasing needs of my family members, the milk we obtained from them could not be sufficient for the four of us, two children, my wife, and I. When I received my second transfer, I opted to spend a total of 40,000 KES on buying another cow. From this cow, we shall be able to get an additional quantity of milk for my household consumption. Moreover, since I had already bought some iron sheets, I spent 10,000 KES on extending a section of my house. This has created an additional room where my two children can currently spend in comfortably. In the past, they were just spending in the sitting room.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 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 around 11pm while eating supper with my family when I heard an SMS alert on my phone. On checking it was KES55000 we were very happy and could hardly sleep that night because we had never received such a lump sum and we slept late around 2am.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving GiveDirectly transfers is purchase of a piece of land within the shortest time possible for my sister who's facing domestic violence.Through the transfers I also have adequate food for my family and my wife's milk business has grown.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES43000 on a quarter of an acre as a gift to my sister who's going through a lot of domestic violence in her marriage.I also spent KES3000 on a goat as a long-term investment and the rest on food and clothing for the Christmas Eve.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I inherited a piece of land from my late parents which would be good for farming. I have however not been able to till it because I do not have funds to fence, plough as well as buy other input. Receiving this money is an opportunity for me to do this and hence expand my sugarcane farm. I have a 0.2 acre plantation now which I mainly use to as feeds for my dairy cows and an expansion of this will mean an increase in milk production hence more income for my household. Currently my two cows produce 10 litres per day which I sell for KES 300.With better feeds this will double and I can comfortably meet my household needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Someone owed me KES 20000 which he had not been able to pay me for the last 10 years. Two months ago,I was surprised when he came to my house with the full amount. This was an unexpected income which I used to buy a heifer. This made me very happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We have not had sufficient rain for two months now. Because of this, my cows do not get enough feed and hence milk production has dropped from 15 litres to 10. Even though the income I get from this still sufficiently meets the needs of my family of five,I do not have any extra amount to put into savings or invest in other income generating projects.
