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 ($492 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?
I am now living a comfortable life with my family. Being a polygamy with 4 wife it was a very tough task to bring up the big family since I was depending on casual labor. At the moment, I have herd of 2 cows and 2 goats a dependable source of livelihood. In addition, I was able to clear fees arrears for my children who had completed secondary so that they may get their certificate. Furthermore, I reside In a respectable house something that has restored my dignity.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well for sending the cash transfer direct to our mobile phone without the government affiliation, this has eliminated corruption and any discrimination.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend $350 of the transfer to construct a modern two-roomed, iron roofed house for my family. Being polygamy with four wives the house I had earlier was very small to fully accommodate both of us. With some having to share the same room which was against our custom. In addition, I bought 2 small cows so that I may boost my livestock rearing, a reliable source of income I have started with my first transfer.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($493 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 7:30 AM when I was preparing myself for the day when I got a message notification from my mobile phone. I was a bit nervous when wanted to know who would have sent me a message at that time of the day. Upon checking,g I realized it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy and knew my long time goals are now achievable.
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 a pair of oxen. For a long time I have been longing to own them but because of the financial difficulties, I could not manage it. I opted in buying the oxen because they have various benefits. First, they will help me plough my farm which previously I have been ploughing using my own hands which was so tiresome. and sometimes I could not prepare mt farm on time and this forced me to plant late hence low yields. I am hopeful that there will be an increased harvest for the coming seasons because I have the ability to prepare my land early for planting.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a pair of oxen. Since I am a farmer I have always wanted to improve the scope of my farming. I have always been dreaming to purchase them but I was not in a position to afford them since they were very expensive. To add to that I bought some iron sheets and nails to finish constructing my house which I was constructing initially. I bought food and other household items using the rest of the transfers and I am happy that my children have enough food to eat.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a second chance in life. I depend on farming mainly livestock keeping to support my family and I had been left with only goats in my compound after selling the cows to educate my children and meet other family needs. I will therefore spend the transfer to purchase cows. I love cows since I get milk on a daily basis that we use for both domestic use and sales to earn an extra income for basic necessities such as food and clothing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I have woken up in good health ready to take my breakfast. I feel happy at this hour since I always look at a new day with positivity knowing that I got another chance to go look for daily bread for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
In the year 2019 we were faced with long drought in our area.Our crops dried up leading to lack of food for both my family and livestock. The casual jobs that we could rely on were also hard to find.As a farmer this was the hardest issue I have ever faced in my life since I could not get anything to give my family for their daily bread and I also lost most of my livestock.
