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 ($425 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?
I intend to start a clothing business. My friend called and asked if I would help him sell his clothes so that I could start my own clothing store a year later. After I have accumulated some savings from selling his clothes.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Receiving this money from GiveDirectly has been so helpful. I was able to build a house, pay school expenses, and at least purchase food for my family. Absolutely no complaints, but a lot of appreciation.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was able to construct my two-room house with the help of the second transfer. My house was so small that my family could not live there. It was difficult to sleep in, and my children chose to do so in the outside kitchen, which I thought was really risky. I think the current house I have built will aid me when guests drop by, and even my children will have a comfortable place to sleep. In addition, I spent $300 on two 410-liter tanks that will aid in the storage of water for domestic usage. My family would not be without water as often, at least. To at least pay off the $700 in unpaid school fees arrears for my five school-age children, I also made that payment. They could have been sent home from school multiple times before I started getting the transfer, which had an impact on their performance as their peers prospered. My wife and I both farm maize and beans. Despite the fact that I have a little farm, my entire family is dependent on it. As a result, they frequently went without food, which had an adverse effect on their health. Lastly, my family enjoys sitting on the two plastic chairs that were purchased with the assistance of this transfer. Thank you so much GiveDirectly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was very excited when I first received my first transfer. It brought much hope of accomplishing all the plans I had in place. l was headed to a nearby shopping few meters away from home and I had to come back home to share the great news with my family who were also excited.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the joy of having a heifer which will soon start to provide us with milk for consumption.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon withdrawal of the transfer,I prioritized on purchasing a heifer at a cost of KES 38,000.The heifer is almost calving and we are hopeful that soon we will end the huge spending on daily purchase of a half a litre of milk from the neighborhood.I also spent KES 2,000 in payment of remedial classes for my two children in primary school who are having a great extra lessons as they prepare for examination.With KES 3,500 I spent in buying a 200 litres water tank which we use in storing water for household use.With the remaining part of the transfer,I spent in buying maize and also bought clothing for my household members who were full of gratitude on their faces.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
With this money, we plan to purchase one dairy cow since we do not have any at the moment. I purchase milk from the market costing us up to KES 2,000 a month which is very costly. We are small scale farmers depending on crops like maize, beans and were potatoes to feed our family. We do not have a stable source of income so meeting basic needs like food is really a challenge to us. This cow will help us by producing milk for our own use hence reducing our daily expenditure. If any surplus, we can sell to earn money to meet other needs. This will cost us KES 40,000. For the amount we will use in farming like buying inputs that might improve our output.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Three months ago I harvested three bags of maize from our one acre farm. Since then, I have not been purchasing maize from the market which is usually the main challenge. It was such a relief for us it really reduced our daily expenditure.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The main challenge is financial constrains. Sometimes when we have no work in our farm, we can do casual jobs at neighbours houses to earn an extra income. These jobs are very unreliable and seasonal. So it is hard to have money to meet all needs everyday.
