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 ($494 USD)
access_time almost 3 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 different than it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have been in a position to pay school fees for my children in various schools. I spend 30000ksh for school fees on the second transfer. I do run a small shop and a posho mill at home. The amount of profit that I get from this business was so small and I could not meet all the household needs and pay school fees for my children on time. My children could be sent home to collect the school fees and this was affecting their performance since lessons were on going. I could hardly break-even in my business before because I could use all the profits and part of the capital on school fees. I was not able to meet all the demand of my customers on time. I ask added 20000ksh to to stock up my business. Currently I meet all the demands of my customers .My children are no longer sent home to collect the school fees and this has led made them improve their performance. I am also so happy since I no longer get stress up on where to get the money. I have devoted much of my time on my business. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses and buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend part of the money I received from GiveDirectly on paying school fees for my children in various schools. This was the biggest challenge that we had at home. Their performance improved so much becuase they were not sent home last term to collect the school fees. I also added stock to my small business. I do sell maize and own a shop and a posho mill. This two businesses has been the source of income for me. I do meet my daily household expenditure and also pay school fees for my children. I could not even break-even in my business before since most or the profit and part of the capital I used on paying the school fees. Currently I have started getting profits because I am able to meet the demand of my customers.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was at 1pm when I was preparing lunch and I heard a message notification on my phone. I was very excited on seeing that it was the transfer, I rushed out and I called my neighbour over the fence to ask her if she had received the same message. She dashed out of her house holding her phone, and yes, she had also received it. We were so happy and we thanked God.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have been able to pay off school fees . My shop business has also grown without me having to take out any loan . My posho mill is also doing well. At times in the past, when I was so pressed financially, it would reach a point I had to close down the shop and run the posho mill only sine I could not afford to stock both.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I paid school fees for my child who is in secondary school. I also bought more things to expand my shop business that was about to fail and a posho mill.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means alot to my family. We have been struggling much with school fees for our children, we have one in secondary school and the other four are in boarding primary school. Annaully we spend more than 150,000 shillings as school fees and other school necessities. Due to prolong drought and the small size of our land the output from the subsistence farming mainly is for consumption. Hence we have been mainly relying on my husband to cater everything. He is a vetinary office since he has not employed by any, he opted to be available to livestock farmers who need is assistance at a fee. Since this has been our main source of income it has not been meeting our expenditure hence sometimes we could not clear school fees on time. We have been dreaming of boosting our source of income by purchasing atleast one dairy cow, I am now seeing this will come true if we receive this transfer.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a farmer usually I visit my farm to weed vegetables or to prepare it for the next planting seasons. Mostly I ploughing it manually and this makes me exhausted. Evening is my happiest part of the day because thats time I rest while making stories with my family members.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of enough stable income has been our biggest hardship. My husband who is a vetinary office has been depending on livestock farmers to seek his service at a fee. Now this has been difficult to get because nearly everyone is struggling with high cost of living and school fees in my area and some end up selling livestock.
