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 ($479 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am planning (have started) to build a new and bigger house for myself, my children and grandchildren too. Because the house that we have been living in is grass-thatched and when it rains, it rains in the house. It is not different from living in the open, which makes me very unhappy. With the new and bigger house, even my grandchildren will be sleeping comfortably in their rooms.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly, in my opinion, is doing everything right and we are grateful because it gives us the chance to choose what challenge to address. It enabled me to buy goats that are my future redemption. If I am faced with a challenge that needs money to be addressed, then I can easily sell one or two goats depending on the need. I am also able to buy myself some better and nice clothes unlike before when I used to have only worn-out clothes because I could barely afford new ones.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my recent transfer mainly on building a new and bigger house that can shelter my children, grandchildren and myself. I bought 24 pieces of iron sheets for a cost of KES20000, timber and poles for KES6000 and KES7000 respectively. I could barely afford the cost of setting up a better house because, being a single parent, the least I could get from my charcoal burning business was mainly servicing the recurrent debts for daily food in the local kiosk. I also used the remaining cash to repay some loans and bought food. This makes me so happy and grateful because I was also able to get a few clothes for myself which before was not possible.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 PM when I retired to bed then I heard a loud vibration from my phone. This was somehow strange to me because it was very rare for me to receive a message at such at that particular time. Therefore without wasting time, I asked my daughter to check who it could be. She later realized that it was an Mpesa message from Segovia Technology. Due to the excitement that I had, I couldn't afford to sleep till dawn I was just thinking about how my life would be thereafter.
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 am now a proud owner of goats. I opted to keep goats because they reproduce very fast and require minimal supervision as compared to the other domestic animals. I am hoping very soon they will multiply and increase more. Currently, three of them have reproduced and this keeps me encouraged. I am certain that I will achieve a lot in life through this business since not so many families are doing it. Apart from that their demand is very high. I am hopeful that I will soon be able to provide basic needs such as food to my family. Paying school fees for my children will no longer be a struggle. This project has changed my perception of life in general, nowadays I can have big dreams and even plan for the future. I have become ambitious and optimistic in life. Like now am planning to later purchase a dairy cow after selling a few goats. Currently purchasing a dairy cow is not possible because they are normally very expensive and I cannot afford to buy one at the moment. Through the two projects, my life will never be the same again. I have been living a miserable life by always depending on odd jobs such as selling charcoal and the much I can earn from such jobs is KES 200 a day which was never enough to run my family. With these projects, I feel there is light at the end of the tunnel.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying livestock more so eight goats at KES 5000. I have been longing to own at least one but because of my low income this was not achievable Also, I cleared the school of KES 4000 and bought new uniforms for my grandchildren to at least replace the ones. I later gave my son KES 5000 to clear a dowry and I am glad that he is no longer harrassed by his in-laws like before. In addition, with the cash that had remained, I bought enough foodstuffs like maize flour and decent clothes, utensils, among others.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means improved living standards. This is achievable through a stable source of income which is my biggest ambition. Currently I burn charcoal for a living and it takes me a whole month to earn 600 shillings. This has contributed to I living a miserable life. My plan therefore is to purchase livestock for rearing once I receive these transfers. I will be selling the produce to cater for my financial needs. Besides, I will renovate my house which is almost collapsing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when I am with my grandchildren. Seeing them happy as they take their lunch gives me assurance that my family is fine.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraint is my biggest hardship. I attribute this to my meagre earnings due to lack of a productive income generating activity. It is what makes me lead a very difficult life as I cannot comfortably meet my basic needs. It is normal for me to skip meals and achieving a decent life is like a fairy tale.