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 ($481 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?
Managing my family basic needs has been full of ups and downs. I fully relied on sisal selling to sustain the family. But since the day I received the transfers from GiveDirectly life has changed. I have a decent house; I also own livestock not unlike before when I was just seeing them in other households. As at now, my family has the basic needs required for a standard family setup because of Give Directly. I humbly appreciate for the assistance the organization accorded me.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What I can say is that, GiveDirectly constructed a house for me at my lowest state as well as buying a cow for me. The organization is doing marvelously in our communities and to our people. It is a wonderful organization.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been living uncomfortable for a while since my house collapsed. It was a sorrowful state full of stress. Upon receiving the 1st transfer, I decided to construct a good stable house which I completed using the decided to construct a new-interlocking block house. I also managed to pay school fees for my 2nd transfer. I also managed to buy a cow which I am sure before the end of this year it will be providing some milk for both selling and family use. I took these steps to overcome the worries of insecurity I had as far as the house issue was concerned as well as having the cow as an investment.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($507 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 around 8 in the morning when I was preparing for my daily hustle then I heard my phone vibrating. This was a clear indication that there was a new message. Since I am illiterate, I asked my helper to conform for me who might have sent a message at such as an hour. Upon checking, she realized that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. On receiving the news, I was overjoyed and I even decided to cancel the plans for the day.
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 now have a better house than I am currently sheltering on. Initially, I used to stay in an unconducive environment and this has been stressing me for years. However, since I only depended on burning and selling charcoal and the little I have been earning could not support the purchasing of all the necessary materials needed. Being a widow has never been easy because I had also to provide for my family in everything. As a result, some of my children had to shift to my cowife's house because ours had collapsed some months before I was enrolled. I am now happier and hopeful because disaster is no more. I am comfortably sheltered under a better shelter with all my family members courtesy of GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I sent a larger portion of my first transfer on buying sevral materials which include iron sheets, building poles, timber and nails, and labor cost needed. I bought all these with an intention of constructing a new house beasue the previous one collapsed and few months and I had to shelter at my cowife's house. With the remaining amount of money I bought enough foodstuffs for my family and we no longer skip meals
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house collapsed due to heavy rains that we experienced in our area and this forced me to seek shelter from my co-wife's house. Receiving this money will, therefore, mean a 2 roomed new iron-roofed house for my son and me so that we reduce the congestion that we have caused in where we currently sleep. I plan to spend $400 on my first transfer to construct the house and $100 will help me to buy new beddings that will replace the old ones. With my second disbursement, I will use $280 to buy 2 indigenous dairy cows that will produce milk once they breed, which I can sell to earn an income and also for household use. The remaining amount will help me to buy food and also to clear some school fee arrears when schools reopened. This will have a positive change in my livelihood because I have suffered for a long time.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I mostly spend the better part of the morning and afternoon hours doing household chores and also the preparation of the ropes which I collect from the bush. This means I have no enough time to relax apart from the evening when I retire to bed. I usually feel rejuvenated when I rest and this gives me a feeling of happiness. Hence, the evening is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
After a long period of doing charcoal work, my health was affected and I now suffer from chest pains. This has forced me to remain jobless and the only option is to engage in selling ropes that earn me KES500 per 2 weeks when the customers are available. At a time when customers are not available, I become a beggar since I borrow some maize flour from my relatives. Therefore, financial instability due to lack of a reliable source of income is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.
