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 ($421 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I hope to be self-sufficient in terms of milk production. I long to add one cow to my stock and to plant feeds for the livestock to boost their productivity to enable me to produce enough milk for household consumption and sell the surplus to get disposable income
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly assisted me well, the officers of give directly spoke to me well, understood me, and were very patient and helpful. My only wish is that give directly can have their transfers regularly .We still have a lot of aspirations to achieve or fulfill
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am old and feeble and my health is deteriorating I am not able to go fetch water from the river which is a bit far. There is a river called chepkulo which we use but they are unclean and unsafe for human consumption. I used KES 36000 of the transfers to purchase a water tank and I used the rest to buy foodstuff. I am so happy that the water problem is a thing of the past at the moment and I am having an easy time unlike before.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($481 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
That evening at around 4 pm I was busy herding cows. That's when I heard a message alert on my phone and didn't bother with it because I am not conversant with the phone operations. It was not until my kids came to the field informing me that they had received their transfers. I also gave them my phone and they confirmed that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was very happy at the arrival of the good news and the money was withdrawn the following morning.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness because my old granary had fallen but GiveDirectly enabled me to build a new one.
Secondly, I am grateful because through the transfers I bought two bags of maize enough to sustain my family for the next one month.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used to cook and sell fermented porridge 10 years ago to feed my family. When I left that job due to my age I specialized in rope weaving and dairy farming just to feed my family. This is because at my age I don't strength to do crop farming.
So when the transfers arrived, most of it was spent on the purchase of Iron sheets, and construction materials for building a granary. This is because the previous one was fallen. After all, ants had eaten the corner posts from underground. But now, the new granary is firm and beautiful awaiting the next harvest.
Secondly, I spent KES 8000 on two bags of maize. This can sustain us for the next one month because I live with my grandkids.
Last but not least, I spent KES 4,600 on the latest clothing fashion for me and my husband. I also spent KES 500 on a thermos flask. The remainder of KES 600 I used on a tractor for hire and the rest I have saved for the food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means self reliance. I am 75 years old and my husband is 87 years old, at this old age we can no longer go to work nor do strenious work. I live in a semi-arid area and I go 2 kilometers away to fetch water from the river for domestic use and at the same time for livestock to drink. During the dry season ,the river dries up forcing us to walk another 3 kilometers or buy water from vendor which is expensive. I am happy because from the transfers I will buy 5,000 litres water storage tank with KES 25,000 .This will enable me harvest enough clean rain water during the rainy season to use during the dry season.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband has been sickly for a while now due to old age. Take care of him has not been easy and for the last few months his health has greatly improved. I thank God because my prayers have been answered. This has brought me happiness.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraints is the greatest challenge we are currently facing. Both me and my husband can not work to earn a living due to old age thus solely depending on livestock keeping. Currently we get 3 litres of milk per day from our one dairy cow from which we sell 2 litres earning us KES 60 only. This money is hardly enough to buy enough food for my family because we have to eat nutritious and balanced diet at our age. Skipping a meal makes us frail.
