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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($436 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Inadequate water and the long-distance my spouse and children take to fetch water upsets me a lot. The only way out is to dig a borehole within my compound. With this, I will be able to start irritating vegetables and thus cast my net of earning a living wider.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am glad that GiveDirectly's program is inclusive, every household was visited irrespective of their economic status. Every household in my village has a testimony of how they utilized their transfers and how their lives have changed. People's lives are never the same, some own livestock, some build new homes, some buy food and even other people invested their money. As much as people were given the autonomy to spend their transfers, I feel like warning them of the repercussions of misusing the transfers is not enough. Proper accountability checks should be put in place to curb the rate of using the transfer on alcohol or even unplanned marriage.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Shortages of sustainable livestock feeds were my undoing for dairy farming. To arrest this challenge I decided to plant Napier grass and grass for my cows. It was until when I received the second transfer that I choose to buy a chuff cuter worth KES 48000 to enable me to manufacture silage for my livestock. This machine made my work seamless unlike before when I was doing it manually. I am grateful that it takes me a short time to make enough feeds for my cows. Now I can produce up to five liters of milk daily which is a milestone for me and my family. Being a champion of education, I also considered buying my children story books and school uniforms. This will enhance the quality of education for my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt so happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. I got so happy because I knew that the things that I needed done were finally going to be realized. It was around 6:00 am when I saw the message and I informed my family members of the same and they were equally very happy about it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is in the bull that I bought. The bull shall enable me serve my she cows in time and shall also see my livestock multiply over a short period of time. The embarrassments that came with having to borrow one from a neighbour is now a thing of the past.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 35000 to buy a bull for my livestock farm and used the remaining amount of money to build a cowshade. I made a decision to buy a bull because I had had to borrow one which was inconveniencing me the more by delaying the serving of my cows and consequently reducing the rate at which they multiplied. Relying on other peoples bulls also threatened the health of my cows by exposing them to viral diseases which could also be deadly. I am happy that I now have my own bull and I can be sure of zero delays in terms of serving my cows.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Dairy farming has been my passion and I have a dairy farm. The Challenge has been to get a good bull to sire a good cow breed. Most of the time I use artificial insemination costing KES 1200 per cow. This is usually expensive and sometimes difficult to get. I have neighbors who have good bull breed but they do not always agree to let their bull sire for fear of getting diseases. This has been stressing me and I was hoping to get money to purchase one for my cows. So when I receive this transfer I will spend KES 40000 to purchase a good breed for my cows.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the past one month, we have received consistent rainfall vegetation has grown and my cows can now get good pasture. This has brought joy and happiness into my life since my cows have increased milk production and I sell them to generate income.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is food insecurity. We used to depend on maize as a staple food but for the past 5 years, Lethal necrosis has affected them thus reducing their yield. I still plant them in different seasons hoping to get a good yield however with changing weather patterns it has been a challenge and this has been demotivating. We got a new breed of maize that is resistant to the disease but its quality is not as good as the high breed.
