GiveDirectly: Send money directly to the extreme poor

2nd Payment

Transfer Amount

53075 KES ($530 USD)

5 years ago

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

My life is different in that I am now a serious poultry farmer where I have been able to save up enough money from the poultry project. I can always sell the eggs and meet any financial needs that arise within the family. The poultry project has seen me meet most of my family's needs without relying on my husband entirely. We also have an additional dairy cow that is due to have its first calf. We are definitely going to live a better life than we have lived before in that we can meet most of the family's basic needs and even get enough money to save up.

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

In my opinion, GiveDirectly is not biased at all. Everyone got the same transfer irrespective of what background they came from. The fact that the money was so unconditional gave us the freedom to choose what to invest in . On the other hand, I did not see anything bad about GiveDirectly that I did not like.

What did you spend your second transfer on?

I used my second transfer to start a poultry keeping project. I had always had this desire of starting a poultry keeping project that could drive me towards being self reliant. Over reliance on my husband often made me feel so much of a burden than a helper to him. I was longing to have this capital that could help me meet most of my daily needs. When I got these transfer, I decided to start this project. I used the money to build a poultry house and bought chicken and these chicken have since started laying eggs. I also bought a dairy cow with the remainder of the transfers. The dairy cow is due to have its first calf and we are looking forward to having enough milk for family consumption and selling of surplus to get an additional income for the family. All these family investments were made possible by the GiveDirectly transfers that I received.

Initial Payment

Transfer Amount

55000 KES ($546 USD)

over 5 years ago

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.

The biggest difference is that I now have chicken and I have started getting eggs which I sell to get money for use. I am so happy as now I have an extra source of income apart from my normal salary.

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

The moment got the message from GD that I had received KES 55000 I jumped in happiness and say big thank you.

What did you spend your first transfer on?

My first transfer I spent KES 9000 to buy four sacks of maize for consumption. I also bought building materials for building a poultry house. I spent KES 5000 to pay school fees for my children. I spent the rest to buy clothes for my children.

Enrolled

almost 6 years ago

What does receiving this money mean to you?

Receiving this money means an empowerment to engage more in projects that will help my children get better education, and good health care. I always have projects that I can work on but it has become impossible due to lack of finances to initiate them.

What is the happiest part of your day?

Morning is the happiest part of my day because I believe it is a favor from God to see a new day. A new day means a fresh start and waking up feeling healthy is always a gift from God.

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

In the 2008, I was diagnosed with kidney problem at tenwek hospital. This was a huge shock to my family. Seeing them struggle to ensure that I get better medical attention broke my heart. They went to an extent of selling all the family properties. My left kidney had failed completely and it had to be removed.. The situation was tough and coming to terms with the fact that I was going to survive on my right kidney alone was a challenge. I can say, this was the biggest hardship I've faced in my life. I thank God the operation went well and recovered fully.