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 ($468 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 new goal in life is to start a business of selling clothes in our nearest town since it is the field that I have experience in and it is profitable. I once had this kind of business but it collapsed when my son joined the high school since I spent all of my capital in paying for his school fees. At the moment, I have been able to clear his school fees for this year, and paying for the three who are still in primary will not be a challenge to me. Because of this, I will be saving money from my current business of buying and selling maize flour and later use it to achieve this goal.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out unconditional cash transfers. With the money, one can uplift their lives in different ways like buying livestock and taking their children to school. I do not see anything that they do not do well since even their officers are well-mannered and do their job diligently.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of four and I have been operating a small business of buying and selling maize in our locality. It was planting season in my region when I received my second transfer and due to this, I spent around KES 12000 on farming. I hired a tractor to till my farm, bought enough hybrid maize and bean seeds and paid for the labor during planting. In addition, I spent KES 15000 on the purchase of four goats as a way of investing this money. I will be selling them in bits after they have reproduced and increased in number and use the money to pay school fees for my children. Also, I spent KES 10000 on clothes for my children since most of the ones they had were old and tattered. I used the remaining KES 15000 food and utensils.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had run out of options on where I was going to get or lend money so as for my son to join a secondary school, he is a very hardworking young man and I never wanted to disappoint him. When I received my transfer I was so relieved, I knew that God had answered my prayers, it was around 9 am when I was doing my normal house cores at home when I heard my phone ringing, upon checking I saw a message notification showing that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly, I was so overwhelmed with joy, I knew that my son would finally get admission to high school. this was the happiest day in our lives and we are grateful for the support that gave us hope of forging ahead.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that my son was able to secure admission to a secondary school, unlike before where we had given up due to financial constraints, I am so happy that I was also able to prepare my farm for the next planting season, I am hopeful that with the farm proceeds I would be able to see my son through school, in addition to that I started a goat rearing business where I will be able to earn an income in future. I am so grateful and humbled for the transfer that I received that amazingly changed our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of four children, I used to sell vegetables in the market but unfortunately, the business collapsed due to so many responsibilities, therefore I opted to be doing casual jobs around the village, I am also a consistent farmer. I was so relieved when I received my transfer because my son was about to join secondary school yet I had no means of paying school fees, therefore I used my transfer in paying school fees of KES 24,000, I then started a goat rearing project where I bought two at KES 8000 in addition to that I prepared mt land for the next planting season where I used KES 5300. Lastly, I bought enough foodstuff in the house and other household items. I am so grateful for the support that changed our lives greatly.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
From the onset of Covid-19, my business of selling vegetables and second hand clothes (mitumba) was ruined as I couldn't get my usual customers whom I used to serve them, so being a single mother and I have children who are in school,life has been tough to me. This money from Givedirectly will be shoulder to lean on to me, because I will be able to pay for school fees and use the remaining to build spacious house for me and my family.
I plan to spend 600$ to build spacious house of atleast 3 rooms and spend the remaining for payment of school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am always happy in the evening when I have arrived from my usual job of selling vegetables, I am able to see how much I got and what to save, I also plan for the next day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have been living in a small house whereby it has always been interfering with my privacy since I have grown up children who feel shy to sleep with me in one house,so they end up sleeping from the neighboring household, this is a big shame in the society. I always need to go house to house to also sell sell vegetables which is tidious and hard way for me to get money.