GiveDirectly: Send money directly to the extreme poor

14th Payment

Transfer Amount

3470 KES ($27 USD)

21 days ago

How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?

After having a lot of issues living with my in-laws, my biggest headache was buying land and leaving my marital home. After accomplishing this, I'd love to accumulate enough savings to launch a kiosk business. Given that he only makes a meager living as a mason, I will support my husband by using the profit from the business to pay the rising expenses. Starting a business will be my most notable accomplishment this year and beyond.

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

Thanks to the financial assistant and the regular transfers from Give Directly, which allowed me to buy three acres of land, I'm in a very good mood right now. Due to the ongoing family disputes that have prevented peaceful intergenerational coexistence, I have not felt at peace since getting married. The only choice I had was to buy new land, where my husband, son, and I would begin a brand-new, trouble-free life. The only issue was our ability to pay for the land because my husband is a mason and makes very little money and I don't. I gradually paid for the land out of my monthly stipends, and I'm relieved that I was able to pay it off in full. I'm looking forward to building a lovely home and living the happy life I've been missing for a while.

10th Payment

Transfer Amount

3050 KES ($25 USD)

5 months ago

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

I am married to a large family with sixteen sons. They are all without a steady source of income. As a result, they are reliant on the family plot of land. I chose to look for my family's piece of land because the parcel is small and cannot be subdivided among them. I have started paying for three acres of $550 land. I owe the owner $450 because I made a $100 payment. I immediately saved $30 in a merry-go-round after receiving a transfer. I am planning to borrow $300 early next year to make a second payment before requesting its occupancy while I look for the balance.

6th Payment

Transfer Amount

3050 KES ($26 USD)

9 months ago

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

Nutrition has been one of the greatest challenges that my family and I experience on the daily especially due to lack of rain, which has led to severe drought and starvation back in the village. At times we go for days on end without a meal which is quite horrible especially considering the children. So as soon as I received the funds I decided to buy a bag of maize flour which contained a dozen packets for KES 2,400 and then used the remaining balance of KES 600 to purchase cooking oil, salt, greens which includes lakes, spinach and tomatoes and lastly sardines.

2nd Payment

Transfer Amount

3050 KES ($27 USD)

1 year ago

In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?

Being unemployed, I could not contribute towards the payment of my family's bills. so, all the financial responsibilities were left to my husband. Now that I'm receiving these funds, I have the means to meet some of the expenses and also make some savings. in my opinion, give directly has done very well and there's no area for improvement.

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

I received 1,200 shillings on my first transfer. At the time, I had run out of food in my household. so, I used the transfer to purchase five packets of maize flour and an African print scarf. Using the second transfer, I saved KES1500 in a chama and the remaining amount I used to purchase food for my family.

Initial Payment

Transfer Amount

1200 KES ($11 USD)

1 year ago

Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?

It was in the morning around 8am as I was cooking some porridge for my baby when my phone notified me of an incoming sms .On checking the sms I was very happy to see that I had received my first cash transfer from GiveDirectly. I could not wait until in the evening to share the good news with my husband who was happy for me.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.

The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving this transfers is soon I will be able to have my own home.I am newly married and still living with my inlaws in the same home.I am planning to join a sacco and contribute KES 2000 per month which with time will allow me secure a loan of KES 50,000 and buy a small piece of land which will be enough to build my house and also allow me to do farming.

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

When I received the cash transfers I bought the African print scarf for KES 550 and bought maize flour with KES 600.I was so happy because it was long overdue to have my old scarfs replaced by new ones.

Enrolled

over 1 year ago

What does receiving this money mean to you?

I have desired to start a small business to sell foodstuffs and some vegetables within our village because there is no nearby shop around. To get a packet of maize flour, one is required to walk almost 4 hours to and from the shop. This is time-consuming and I have seen an opportunity to start this business. With the cash grant from GiveDirectly, I plan to save my first 5 months' transfers to accumulate to 15000 KES that I will use as my initial capital. This will enable me to have a reliable source of income for my family and hence, a better future. I will also join a merry-go-round group to save the other transfers and have a chance to get a huge loan to construct a decent house for my family. This will bring about a happy life and therefore, this is generally what receiving this money means to me.

What is the happiest part of your day?

Despite the many challenges that I face in my life, I am always grateful for the good health my family and I have enjoyed over the last 6 months. This is something that I can not take for granted and it is basically what has brought joy to my life.

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

Our area has experienced long droughts that have led to the drying up of all the nearby water pans. This means I spend a better part of my morning hours searching for water from a distance of almost 7 kilometers away from home. This is time-consuming and energy-draining something that has rendered me unproductive because I am not fully committed to my charcoal work. Hence, financial instability has been the main challenge that I am currently facing.