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 ($528 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Longing for a new iron sheet house for the longest time was my biggest lower point in life . I actually succeeded to renovate the roof of my two houses that is my children's and our main house using the transfer from GiveDirectly. This has made my life to be totally different considering the fact that the previous one had a leaking roof. I had no hopes of constructing them since the little amount of money we were earning was majorly spent on paying school fees for my children and meeting their basic needs. I am now happy since we sleep under a new iron-roofed house hence mostly my children no longer worry of their books being rained on or staying in a wet house full of water and mud.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion , GiveDirectly made sure to enroll all village members who were willing to participate in the program . This lead to transparency in the selection of eligible beneficiaries . I do not see what GiveDirectly did wrong at its work.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my second transfer to pay school fees for my child who is in secondary.I am glad she is in school are the rest of her classmate. I bought four goats. The remaining amount , I renovated my main house and my children's which make me more happy that they no longer get rained on .
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($539 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I have been struggling to save money in order to ensure that I build a decent house and enjoy a good shelter, for me and my children, but I couldn't manage. Being a mother of ten children, I could not effectively fulfil the very basic needs for my families like shelter, clothing and education to my family. The little money that my husband earns from casual works is not enough to effectively fulfil this. Through this money, I was able to buy enough building materials which include iron sheets, building poles to facilitate the construction of a spacious house that will ensure we have a good shelter as a family. Achieving this is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the transfer early in the morning, and on checking to confirm, it was from GiveDirectly that I had received my first transfer from them. I was happy for the financial support would enable fulfil the things that seemed impossible for me.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
My son had been sent home because of the outstanding fee balance that I wasn't able to clear on time. When I received my first transfer, I spent a portion of the money to clear the fee arrears and was allowed to continue with his studies without any further interruptions on school fees. I also bought building materials to construct a decent house since I could not access better shelter because the house I am currently staying is in not spacious enough and leaking when it rains. I am now in the process of constructing a new house for my family. I also bought six goats which I am currently rearing in my homestead. I am expecting that they will reproduce increase in number and have many of them. I can sell in future to raise more money to start a good business. On the remaining amount, I did some shopping for my children which included some clothing and also on foodstuffs and other household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Providing a decent shelter for my children has been my greatest wish for a very long time. However, I have not been able to do so due to lack of finances to construct a larger structure. My current house is very small and has a leaking roof with nearly collapsing walls. It can hardly contain my family of twelve and as such, five of my eldest children are forced to seek shelter in an incomplete structure that I have been constructing for nearly one year but is yet to be rooofed. Even so, I am still forced to scramble with their five younger siblings in our one roomed house and this has robbed us off of our privacy. When I get my transfer, I will complete roofing the structure that I had set up for my children and build a bigger house for the rest of us who sleep in the main house. With the second part of my transfer, I will buy goats for rearing and also pay school fees for my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am happiest mostly in the evening when I am with my family sharing the evening meal. Due to lack of sufficient finances,we normally tend to skip on lunch and only strive to get something for the evening. Seeing my children finally seated together sharing a meal and feeling satisfied feels my heart with so much joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraint is the biggest hardship that we face as a family. I have no job and even the little that we get from my husband's job as a mason, is never enough because it is a job that is not consistent. During a time like now when there is scarcity of water and people are hardly building, I can say that both of us have no source of income. It is increasingly becoming difficult to sustain our children's education and I am already fearing that they will be forced to drop out. Providing meals for all ten of my children is another challenge. I can not remember the last time when we took three meals in one day. We are normally forced to sacrifice between one or two of the three meals in order to save for supper. It really pains me as a mother to see my children hungry yet I have no means of buying for them food.
