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 ($485 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I used to live in a single house that served us as a kitchen, sitting room and bedroom at night. Due to this, I had to sleep in the same room with my children since they are still young and letting them walk alone at night seeking for a place to sleep would be a danger to their lives as it is not safe. Currently, my life is different than how it would have been had I not received the transfer since I have been able to build a more spacious house. My children now sleeps in a separate room and I enjoy my privacy. Also, I no longer shy off from welcoming visitors to my home as they will have a place to sit and sleep comfortably.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my own opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out financial aid to people. Through this aid, I have been able to expand my small fruit business into a grocery hence I believe that I will start making more profits. I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 35000 to purchase a dairy cow since I have been buying milk and I have been spending KES 50 daily on them. It is almost calving and I will earn money through the sale of milk after setting aside a litre or two for our consumption. I usually buy and sell fruits at our nearest market. On a good day, I make KES 300 and sometimes KES 200. Due to this, I spent KES 5000 to expand this business by turning it into a grocery. With this, I am hopeful that I will make good returns. In addition to this, I spent KES 6000 to pay school fees for my daughter who had been sent back home to collect fee arrears and spent the remaining KES 7000 on food and other household necessities.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($509 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
On receiving the transfer, I was really happy with the hope to finally put up another bigger structure to accommodate my growing family. I was so excited and thanked God for opening a way for us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having completed the construction and moving into the new house, everything looks good in our household. We currently have enough space both in the living room, the bedroom, and also great furniture which has so far facilitated a comfortable study by my children every evening. This is a great difference in my life and I am grateful that we became part of this great project from the start.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the first transfer, I spent 20000KES on purchasing the construction materials for my new house. With the remaining amount, I paid the labor cost, bought a goat worth 3000KES, and the last bit on buying foodstuff for my children. Construction of a new house came first as I had been living with my family of five in a small house that was already withering on the roof. I am glad that it was completed and we finally moved in.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a single mother of four children yet I have no reliable source of livelihood. Though I have managed to feed family by doing some grocery business and subsistence farming, I have always worried about educating my children. Therefore, I will enjoy significant relief upon receipt of this money since I will utilize them in educating my children. To attain such a goal, I will use some of the transfer on expanding my business and purchasing a dairy cow that will provide us with milk for consumption and sale. I thank God for this.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when I am running my grocery business in a nearby shopping center. This is the time that I interact with my customers -people from varied backgrounds. This makes me feel loved and cared for, especially by my usual clients. Also, this is the time I tend to forget about my worries and struggles because we would chat and laugh with 'happy'people.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is raising school fees for my children. I usually struggle to sustain my family since profits from my grocery business is too small. Also, gains from our subsistence farming is barely enough for us. In that regard, I was forced to sell the only cow we had to raise the needed school fees when my first child joined Grade 9 last year, 2020. Precisely, I have always been worried about educating my children without a helping hand or a reliable source of income.
