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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 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 how it would have been had I not received the transfer since I have been able to acquire some assets that increase over time. This is because I was able to use my transfer to purchase a heifer and a goat. These are assets to me that will enable us earn some extra income through sale of surplus when they reproduce.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by uplifting people's lives through cash transfer and I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I spent around KES 21000 to build a granary for my family. I settled on this so that I can be using it to store farm produce instead of storing them in our bedroom as I have been doing. In addition to this, I used KES 15000 in improving my house by fixing some cealing. I am now glad that my house is more presentable than before. Also, I bought a goat worth 8000 as a way of saving this money. Using the remaining amount, I bought some food and clothes for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was working on my farm in the early morning hours when I heard the SMS notification on my phone. I did not check it at that time because I do not know how to read and hence I decided that I will give it to my child later for her to read it out for me. When I reached home, I gave it to her and she told me that the SMS was saying that I had received my first lump-sum transfer from GiveDirectly. I was filled with a lot of happiness and I thanked God. My children too were so happy and they joined me in the celebration. Their father was not around at the moment because he had gone to do some work in the neighborhood. I made sure though that I informed him first thing when he came back in the evening. He was so happy too to hear this.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer from GiveDirectly is going to bring a big difference to my family. We are going to take care of the calf and when it grows and reproduces, we will be able to get milk for consumption and sale. The money from the sales will enable us to invest in other important things. The goats that we bought will also reproduce and multiply in number with time. We will be able to sell some of the offsprings whenever we need money to do other things such to pay school fees for our children. My children too are happy because they have gotten new clothes.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The money from GiveDirectly has been of great help to us. We bought a cow with part of the transfer and some clothes for our children. We still have a little bit of money left that we plan to buy two goats with it. The reason why we decided to settle on buying the cow and the two goats is that we have always wanted to invest in something that will bring more fortune in the future. Although we had this desire, we were not in a position to do so because of a lack of money. The small amounts of money that we have been getting have mostly been going to payment of school fees for our children. This has thus made it impossible for us to buy what we have always desired. The transfer provided us with an opportunity to achieve our dream. Thank you GiveDirectly for making this happen.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Getting this money would mean so much to me and my family. I feed a large family of 8 members including young grandchildren. Preventing malnutrition in young children requires that they get certain types of good which include milk. Every morning I spend 120 shillings buying milk. This translates to 3600 shillings a month. I plan to buy 2 dairy cows for 30000 shillings each to save me this daily cost. That would also mean I will be in a good position to save for other things that are equally pressing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The evening is the happiest part of my day. This is because we are united as a family, enjoying a meal, and also having a good conversation. Many times, we reminisce about the good memories of our past. This brings so much happiness to my heart.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Providing for my family is the biggest headache my husband and I have had to deal with for the longest time now. We have been skipping meals because we are not lucky enough to have all the 3 meals a day. I farm a portion of 1-acre and because of persistent droughts that usually hit our area, I have come out empty-handed for five consecutive years. This has subjected my family to so much agony.
