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 ($467 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am a casual laborer working on people's farms while I sometimes work on my farm. Currently, I do not have any new or additional goals since I want to concentrate on my children's education. I believe that the best investment one can think of is education since it will be beneficial to me and my children in the future.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well by clothing us, paying school fees for our children, enabling us to acquire live assets and to build decent houses. All this, would not have been achieved by people in my region over a short time due to financial challenges every one of us has been passing through. I do not see anything that they did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a dairy cow worth KES 28000 as an investment that I can rely on in case of an emergency. In addition, I will be using money from the sale of milk to pay school fees for my children and on foodstuffs. Apart from this, I spent KES 2000 on my children's school fees since had been sent back home and used the remaining KES 6000 on two three-seater seats after spending KES 14000 on food, clothes, and utensils.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($498 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my transfer, I was at the fields tending to my goats when I heard my phone ringing and vibrating loudly, Upon checking I saw a Mpesa notification message showing that I had received money from GiveDirectly, I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness, I knew that I will be able to construct a decent house, I then informed my children of the wonderful news that came our way, words cannot express how happy they were, I am grateful to have received the support from GiveDirectly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My life is different now because I have managed to build a decent house for my family, I was unable to construct one due to an unreliable source of income, therefore, I did not have a choice but to live in a very small house that we could afford together with the goats, I am so happy and thankful that I was able to accomplish my dream within a short period, I am grateful that GiveDirectly has lifted my living standard to a better and a higher level in my society.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Imagine sharing a single room with the goats, for security reasons I have been sharing a house with my goats to avoid them been stolen. When received my transfer I prioritized building a decent house for my family, therefore I used my transfer in building two decent houses a kitchen, and the main house at KES 45,000, I am happy that we have a decent place where we can comfortably welcome our guest now. I then used the remaining amount in buying foodstuffs. I am so grateful for the support that lifted our living standards.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
As a widow my struggles are many, I have several children to raise up all by myself and I don't feel confident that their future will be bright because am not sure if I will be able to educate them. For these transfers from Give Directly, I would like to start selling second hand clothes because I have previous experience in it. I know the business would give me limitless opportunities from educating my children comfortably to building a better house for them. I will be forever grateful to Give Directly for starting me off.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is usually in the evening because most of the time I feel proud of myself to have had a successful day in raising my children and giving them their daily needs
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I became a widow at a young age so I have had to struggle by myself to feed these children and buy clothing for them. My husband died even before he could build a decent house for us so the biggest hardship in my life has been to raise my children all by myself.
