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 ($520 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
If it were not for the cash transfers, I do not think it would have been possible for me to launch the business because after it collapsed some years ago, it has been extremely hard for me to revive it once again because I do not have a source of income which I can use to revive the business. Apart from that, I also mentioned before that I bought a cow at a whopping 24000 KES which is a lot of money which I could have never managed to raise to date. So for me, I just say thank you to Give Directly for helping me come this far.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I think that the organization has changed peoples lives by giving them a chance to transform their lives through unconditional cash transfers. For instance, I bought a cow which I have been milking so I do not have to be buying milk from the local vendors.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I deposited part of the money in a savings Sacco which of course will act as some sort of savings for me for future use. What remained after the savings went into the purchase of food for the family so as to have enough stock for the family going into the near foreseeable future.
I also spent approximately 1000 KES on building a new structure where I will be operating my small scale business which I am just about to launch within the next three to five months.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($542 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that now I own two bulls. As a farmer, I am now assured of preparing my land on time without having to part with some coins in the name of hiring labor. I easily cultivate my farm because now I don't have to raise money to hire labor. I have already started using the bulls to carry water which has been easy unlike before where I had to do the work by myself.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had woken up to relieve myself and when I came back, I picked my phone just to know what time it was. I realized that I had a message on my phone and on reading it, I found out that it was a message from Give Directly notifying me that they had sent me the first transfers. I could not hold the joy that I had that moment. I was so excited and I couldn't sleep anymore. I kept planning and reorganizing the plans till morning.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying two bulls. I want to rest from the hard work of tilling the land by myself. Previously, I could save a few coins to pay for labor and when I couldn't afford to pay at all, I could do the work by myself. Since I was alone I could only dig a small piece of land which meant getting a small harvest. I am now happy because I have my bulls which will not only save me from the hard work but also earn me a few coins by tilling other peoples land too. I also saved 10000 in one of the Sacco. I plan to take a loan from that Sacco and start a motorcycle business so as to get an extra income. I finally bought maize in bulk because it is cheaper and more efficient which will last us for a longer period of time.
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
A year ago when I was about 5 months pregnant, I fell very ill and I had to use a lot of money for treatment in order to save my baby, which led to collapse of my shop business. With my GD transfers, my goal is to revive my business so that I can be able to meet my family's needs of food and education much easier. I also plan to spend part of it to rear livestock specifically goats because of their drought resistant nature.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I always wake up early to do my house chores such as sweeping and washing. This enables me to see the sun rise which is always such a beautiful sight that makes my morning worth while.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
After my business collapsed due to a prolonged illness, I started doing casual jobs to make ends meet. With an unreliable and inconsistent income of about 2000 shillings every month, there's nothing much I can accomplish in life. From affording simple meals, clothing, medication to educating my children, all this has been a struggle and seems unachievable because I lack the necessary finances.