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 ($518 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Having another house in my compound to use as a living room is a big difference. It is a spacious one that is well furnished. I am happier to live a descent house just like the other people in my village.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did so well by giving us this aid as cash that enabled me to solve my most immediate need. I build a house and bought a dairy cow.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the second transfer on Building a house. before this, I had to one small house that could not accommodate my entire family. My chidlren are growing so fast and will soon need to be given a private. I figured out hat I would either have to build another one later or have them sleeping in a neighbors houses if I was unable to build one. The later was the most likely cause because I only rely on menial jobs that do not pay enough for me to build. I then paid for my medication since I was not feeling well.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($546 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have bought a dairy cow. I used to buy milk from my neighbors and it was so costly for me. I depend on small scale farming and casual jobs in the village to get some income to meet these basic needs. At some point, we had to miss breakfast because there was no money to buy milk. When I received the money from GiveDirectly I felt so happy and the first thing that came into my mind was to buy a dairy cow, which I did immediately. Currently, I no longer buy milk. I sell the surplus milk and the market to earn an income to meet other basic needs for the family. including paying for the school fees for my children.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment when you received your money I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. I remember it was very early in the morning when I heard a message notification on my phone. I felt so happy when I checked it. I immediately informed my spouse who also celebrated a lot. I knew from that very morning that I will buy a daily cow to cut the cost of buying milk.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to buy a dairy cow and a heifer. I used to buy milk and it was costly for me and the rest of the money I used it to buy food and other basic household items.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My children are still very young and as such milk is a requirement for their nourishment.Since I do not have a cow to provide this,I have been depending on my parents for a little milk every day.This is hardly enough and I cannot afford any extra money to buy more.When I heard about this money from GiveDirectly I thought that this is an opportunity to buy a cow not only for my children's sake but so that I can also get an income through the milk.I also intend to buy some foodstuff since I was given 0.2 acres of land by my parents to build my small house and till and this is insufficient to provide enough food.With what remains,I will build another house for my family
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening.It is mostly during this time that am paid for the casual farm jobs I do.With this little payment,I buy some foodstuff just enough to get my family by for the day while I look for something else to earn from tomorrow.Having provided my family food for the day makes me very happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Even though I have this small piece of land to cultivate on,I have not been able to get a harvest for four years now.This has been mainly due to crop diseases affecting maize and prolonged drought.As a result,I have been forced to do casual jobs within and outside the village in order to provide my family with basic needs.This is always a challenge because a manual job can pay as low as 1 USD per day.With all the needs,this is never enough hence my small family always lacks.It hurts because there is nothing more that I can do considering that I do not have any skills that can guarantee employment.This is the biggest hardship I have faced.
