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 ($442 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Currently, I do not have any new goals, I am planning on focusing on dairy-keeping projects and small-scale farming at home. This will enable get enough food to feed my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does the training and enrollment well. This was done perfectly without any biases most of the people who received the transfer spent it well. The living standard of the people has improved compared to when they had not received the transfer. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30,000 on purchasing a heifer. I always buy milk daily and this is so costly for me. When my cow reproduces in the next few months I will get enough milk and cut the daily cost which is very expensive. This will enable me to save the money that I would have used to purchase milk for other basic needs of the family. Besides that, I purchased five goats. This is a good investment since goats reproduce twice per year and help whenever there is an emergency since they can be sold easily. The remaining amount of money I spent on a bed, mattress, and food for the family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 11 am when I was at home relaxing and suddenly I heard a message alert on my phone. On checking my phone, I saw it was GD transfers and immediately went to nearest MoMo agent and withdrew. Immediately, I started buying materials I had planned for.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness in my house.The transfers have enabled me buy household utensils that I didn't have before. Initially, my house was like a big hall with a borrowed bed, two sufurias and one table which acted as a utensils stand. I had married but due to high rate of poverty we parted ways with my wife that was two years ago. I used to work as a casual motorcycle rider and it was quite frustrating because the pay was meagre.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I KES 10,500 spent on three goats because I live in hilly place which is suitable for goat farming. I also spent 5000 on a bed and a mattress because initially I had an old bed which I had borrowed. I also spent KES 1500 on a table, KES 1000 on three cooking pots, and KES 3000 on a sack of maize. I also spent KES 2300 on latest clothing fashion unlike before when I used to buy second hand clothes. I also bought building materials for my kitchen and have saved the money for building a house from the next transfers.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
A decent house is generally what receiving this money means to me. As of now, my house is leaking. It is this single house that acts as a kitchen and bedroom. Most of the time I am forced to change bed position during rainy seasons. I have desired to repair it but due to lack of money, this has remained a dead dream. I am planning to build a two-roomed house, in that I will buy 30 pieces of iron sheets at the cost of 500 shillings each and 20 pieces of roofing frames at the cost of 250 shillings each. Also, I am planning to have a long-term investment project and I intend to buy 10 goats at 3,000 shillings each which will translate to 30,000 shillings. This will assure me of a stable source of income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning is the happiest part of my day. Waking up healthy and refreshed for my day's work gives me hope for another day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income that can support the needs of my family has been my biggest hardship. I purely depend on motorcycle taxis but this income is hardly enough to sustain our needs. I only earn 200 shillings on a day which is not even enough to cater for foodstuff.
