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 ($442 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?
Building a cattle feed store is my next goal. I believe that with it I would be able to store and preserve feeds that would last for a longer time. I plan on reading the goal by saving money from the farm profits.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does a tremendous work of uplifting the lives of people in our communities. The act of kindness is unique compared to other organisations because we were given the mandate of choosing how we would utilise our funds. Throughout my interaction with the staff, I did not encounter any misconduct.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a teacher by profession though still awaiting the government placement. I am married and blessed with two children. Fetching water from the stream has been a very cumbersome chore, this is because the stream is far from my home. Therefore, upon the receipt of my second transfer, my husband and I settled on purchasing a water tank worth KES 35,000 to harvest rainwater. I was unable to acquire a tank before due to financial constraints. Secondly, we started a poultry project where we used KES 15,000. I am so happy for the support that brought so much happiness into our lives.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($482 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 5.30 pm when I saw an unread message on my phone after getting back from the farm as I was checking what time it was. I became so happy and immediately informed my spouse about the good news. He was equally overjoyed and he informed me that we should call the water tank dealers and book one as we had earlier on planned.
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 no longer go to the river to fetch water for domestic use as I used to before. This is because I am currently using the ones that I recently harvested when it rained. In addition, I do not struggle to buy food for the family despite being on leave as I would on the other days. This has been possible because I was able to buy one sack of maize and this will still last my family for some time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We usually face a challenge of looking for clean water for domestic use, especially during the dry season where one has to walk for 2 hrs daily looking for drinking water. Since I am a BOM teacher, I would not get enough time to go to the river and I used to source the services of a motorcycle rider. They would always charge me a fee of KES 100 for 80 liters of water. When I received my transfer, I spent KES 32000 to purchase a water tank with a capacity of 5000 liters, spent KES 9000 on the gutters, to construct its stand, and to pay for the labor of erecting it. We will be using it to harvest rainwater for drinking and making meals so that I will always save the money that I would otherwise pay a motorcycle rider to help me in fetching water from the well. We spent the remaining amount on food and clothes for my two children and spouse.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I can start a poultry business to begin a n income source. It helps because it will be a constant source of income, to take care of my family needs as I continue to get a teaching job with the government. I will spend about KES 30,000 to start it. I will improve my home by buying a water tank to store rain water and to buy a solar panel for lighting. This will cost about KES 40,000 in total. I will then have a good home and a source of income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last six months, I am happy that our cows got enough feeds. This was a result of good weather leading to high milk production. We have been selling part of the milk and use the income to buy other food stuffs like maize. I am happy that we have not been buying milk for consumption, instead, we have a surplus!
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is lack of income. I have not secured a job even after graduating 2 years ago. My husband is the sole breadwinner who earns as a casual worker in a hospital in the Capital city. It is so difficult to get money to buy basic needs like food and school fees for my child.
