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 ($421 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?
My ambition is to buy a daily cow so that I can have two. This would relieve me of the need to buy milk daily while also providing an additional source of income. To ensure that this dream comes true, I intend to invest more in them the goat's project by properly managing them so that they can multiply and eventually be turned into a cow.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The criteria used by the organization in selecting the families who would benefit from the project were incredible; it was open, free, and fair. Furthermore, the transfer was unconditional, allowing us to choose how we would use our transfers. My neighborhood has been transformed and strengthened. I have not seen anything done poorly during my interactions with the GiveDirectly staff.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my second transfer, I decided to start a goat-rearing project because it is easier to maintain and fits the semi-arid climate of our area. As a result, I spent $150 on three goats. This was not possible before because I did not have a consistent source of income and had to rely on casual jobs. I then spent $80 on two bags of maize to alleviate our severe hunger. Finally, I purchased clothing for my wife and child. I am overjoyed that my dream of starting a goat project has finally come true in such a short time.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($481 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was alone at home when I heard the message alert that after checking it up, I realized that it was from GiveDirectly. The receipt of this transfer was so exciting that I could not wait for my wife to come home as I needed to break the good news to her. I tried calling her, but she was unreachable and when she got home, that was the first information I gave her. She was happy as well and we had to plan to collect the money the following day since it was already late.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I received the first transfer is the huge investment in livestock that has given me hope of better financial security in the future. Having a cow means a stop in the purchase of milk, and the goats I bought will always serve any emergency since I can always sell them out whenever a pressing need comes up.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the first KES 2000 of my transfer on buying a heifer that I am currently raring as I look forward to its milk production in the future that will cushion me from the high cost of milk I had been incurring. I also bought three goats at a total cost of KES 10500. I will be rearing them as future assets that I will sell out at a profit and invest differently in other projects. I spent KEs 14000 of the remaining amount of clothes for the three members of my household and used the remaining on foodstuff that we are still using to date. I am one of the happiest beneficiaries of this project as I have seen quite a lot of changes that I had just been dreaming of in the past.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am so happy right now for being enrolled in this program because this is a life-changing award. It has been my wish that I build my family a good house but I have not been able to do that that because I have no income at all. I survive on casual jobs around the village which usually is enough to buy us food only. This grass-thatched house that I am currently living in has a leaky roof and we would like to change that. My 2-month-old baby keeps catching cold because of the housing conditions. I shall therefore use these transfers to build an iron sheet roofed house and this will have additional benefits also because we shall be able to collect rainwater off the roof for our household use.
What is the happiest part of your day?
There was some casual work in the nearby village last month that I was employed to dig a water pan. The work was paying well because I managed to make KES. 2000 within 3 weeks. This gave me a lot of joy because I was able to buy clothes for my newborn child.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have the burden of providing for my family while I do not have an income. Casual jobs that I depend on are so hard to come by and mostly I get KES. 100 which can buy food only and yet we have so many other needs like clothing also. Farming is no longer dependable because the weather has drastically changed in the past 10 years, crop diseases also have come and this has impacted so badly on our economic conditions.
