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 ($523 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different in that I now feed my family so comfortably. The savings that I made with the transfer has enabled me to provide for my family even when I have had a bad day. This has changed my life a lot and I am looking forward to even more changes. I am so happy about my life and that of my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did so well in giving money unconditionally to everyone in the village. They did so without discriminating on anyone whatsoever and this is something that I thought they did so well in. On the other hand, I did not find anything that I thought GiveDirectly should have improved on.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I saved most of my second transfer since I was anticipating that my child would join form one this year. I have since withdrawn KES 20000 from the savings to pay school fees for my son and also do shopping as he joined form one. I am optimistic that I am going to be able to pay school fees going forward since I still have enough savings from the transfers. This money is going to help me a lot in paying school fees for my son who has just started his secondary education.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($536 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my life is that I now have a kitchen. Kitchens are very essential in a village and they serve several purposes. One can use them as a grocery store or a sleeping area for children or visitors. I was glad to build one since we now do not have to worry about how we will cook during the rainy season. The previous structure used to leak and we were at times forced not to cook during such seasons.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received a message confirming I had received money from Give Directly. I went to my Mpesa account to confirm whether this was true and to my surprise, my account balance read the highest amount ever. I have never owned such an amount in life. I was so happy as I knew that all my dreams will come to pass. I knew my child will not be sent home anymore. Finally, there was hope to meet all my needs and live a good life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer to construct a new house. I bought some iron sheets as I had other materials which I had bought before. In addition to that, I also bought utensils, seats and some clothes for my children. I am left with KES 19000 which I plan to spend on paying school fees for my child who is in secondary school. I thank Give Directly for giving me the means to do all these without taking loans or having to sell some of my valuable assets.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will finally be able to complete payment of my piece of land.I bought a piece of land last year but could not fully pay for it due to financial constraints.The piece where I live in now belongs to my parents and therefore am required to move my homestead to the other land.This money came at the right time because I was already struggling to provide for my family's day to day needs as well as raising money to clear payment.Having no adequate source of income except for the small piece of land,I am already strained but now am happy that the transfer will lift that burden a little.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning,I gather feeds for my cow and then set out to my farm.We have a small piece of land allocated and shared with some other villages in a certain place that used to be a forest.While at the farm,I religiously engage in my farming activities since that is what my family depends on.Sometimes the yields are good and sometimes not.When I have a good harvest,am happy because my family will be more comfortable
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having no stable source of income,It has always been a struggle to provide for my family in terms of food and especially school fees for my children in Secondary school.I have constantly have to borrow from relatives then work on my farm to pay back.By doing this,there is hardly any progress in terms of saving for the future
