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 ($493 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been had I not received the transfer because I do not buy milk anymore as I was able to purchase a dairy cow using my first transfer. Due to this,my daily expenditure has reduced hence I do not have to overwork while doing some odd jobs in the neighborhood. In addition to this, I have been able to complete building a house for my family. I had always wished to complete it but had not been able to due to insufficient funds.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by uplifting people's life by giving out financial support and 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 from my transfer to purchase a dairy cow. We settled on this as a family since I had sold all the cows I had while educating my children. Due to this, we had been forced to buy milk on daily basis which is quite expensive and my family at times were forced to take tea without milk whenever I had not money. Also, I bought a water tank worth KES 15000 with a capacity of 3000 litres. I will be using it to harvest rain water for domestic use. I am now glad that my spouse will not be walking for a longer distance anymore looking for water during dry season. Using the remaining amount, I bought some food for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was filled with a lot of excitement when I saw the M-pesa SMS indicating that we had received the lump sum transfer from GiveDirectly as promised. I immediately informed my whole family and we celebrated together. I was so eager to withdraw the money that I prepared myself early in the morning and went to the mobile money agent. I was so happy even on my way to the M-pesa shop. Thank you GiveDirectly for making my dreams come true.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Getting this transfer has brought a very big difference in our lives. I have been able to complete the house that I had not finished building. I have been able to place the ceiling board and plywood on the walls of the sitting room and that of my children’s bedroom. I thus no longer have thoughts of how I will be able to finish constructing the house due to lack of money. My children too now have a nice room to sleep in. With the tank that I bought, we will now be able to collect enough rainwater. This water will be enough for our household use and that of the livestock. This will thus save us from the long trips that we have been making to draw water from the river. May God bless GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The money from GiveDirectly has helped me in finishing constructing my house. I had not finished placing the ceiling board and on the walls of the sitting room and my children’s bedroom. I also bought a very big tank that I am going to use in collecting rainwater. We have issues accessing water in our area. The river that we draw water from is about five kilometers away and hence getting water for household use and livestock has been a big problem for us. I had a smaller tank which has not been enough to cater to all our water needs. The money also helped me in buying blankets and mattresses that my children can sleep on. This way they will be able to sleep comfortably at night.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I used to have two donkeys that were helping me carry water from the distant river but I had to sell them in order to cater for the school fees arrears for my kids. The distance from my homestead to where I fetch water is very far and with my current age, I do not have the energy to carry on my back. Receiving this money will mean that I will be able to buy a large water tank to store rainfall water for both domestic and animal use. It will cost around 520USD to fully purchase and install the water tank. I also intend to use the second transfer to buy one dairy exotic cattle and her feed.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Due to the weak nature of my body. I normally spent most of my time around my village with other friends of mine who are my age mates. My happiest part of the day falls in the evening when we assemble near a tree as we crack jokes concerning our childhood.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I used to do house construction as my source of livelihood. My passion was later short lived when I was diagnosed with diabetes. My body became so weak that I could not undertake any task. I was taken to several hospitals in search of treatment and luckily enough I got well. I used so many resources at my disposal to cater for the expensive medical bills. This for me will always be the biggest hardship I have ever experienced.
