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 ($458 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
We do not have any new goals at the moment that we would like to accomplish. This is because we still have children who are in school and hence our only goal is to find a way of getting money for paying for their school fees. We are planning to plant beans which we are going to supply to the school where our children are studying when we harvest them. We usually supply the beans and even maize and by doing so, we get to pay for part of their school fees. We have three children in secondary school and four in primary school.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well because they changed the lives of many in the community for the better. Many of them didn't have houses but they managed to build them. Others paid school fees for the children and hence they did not have to organize fundraising like always to get the money. Their staff members were also good and they were not biased when enrolling people into the program. They did not ask for a bribe from anyone to enroll them. I hence did not see anything that went wrong.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent KES 20000 of our recent transfer on paying school fees for our three children who are in secondary school. We had paid some amount with the first transfer, hence we decided to clear the balances so that the children could have ample time to study without worrying about being sent home. We then took KES 10000 that we used in buying a calf. We decided to buy the calf to add to the cows that we had so that it could help us in the future when it calves. We also spent KES 5000 on buying clothes for the children. With the remaining transfer amount, we used it to prepare our land for planting and to buy the seeds. We are thus grateful to GiveDirectly because with having cleared the school fees balances for the children, we have had some peace of mind, and we have not been forced to sell what we have, that is, the calves to raise money for paying school fees.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($487 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy I remember it was around 9am. I had gone to milk the cows. When I came back I decided to check my phone as usual, little did I know there was money sent from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy because I have never received such amount of money before. When I saw the message I could not believe my eyes. This was because I have never received such amount of money before. My family members felt so happy and really celebrated with joy. I went and withdrew the money the same day and pay school fees for my two children in secondary school. I am so happy because they were able to study well without being sent home.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have paid School fees for my two children in secondary school. They used to sent home to collect the school fees and this was affecting their performance. I depend on casual jobs in the village and small scale farming. This earns me small income which is only for household basic needs. I had no extra money to pay all the school fees for my children. There performance was being affected. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I felt so happy because I knew I would be able to pay school fees for my children. I have paid all the school fees and they are studying well. They are no longer being sent home and I know this gonna improve their performance. I have piece of mind to do other chores at home without any stress. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled me to educate my children. This was not a easy task for me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend part of the money to pay School fees for my two children in secondary school. They were able to study well without being sent home like before. I am so happy because I was able to do other chores at home without being disturbed. I used some amount to renote my house to look decent. I had always wished to do this but I didn't had the money. The rest of the money I bought food and clothes for my children. I am so grateful and happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have desired to have a better education for my children. I have always depended on farming for a living as I always sell the maize and beans I harvest to clear school fees. I have 2 children in grades 11 for which I pay KES 50000 for their school fees per year. The harvest only caters for KES 25000 of the fees. On most occasions, I collect milk from the households in the village and sell them to the milk vendors. In addition, I save the KES 200 profit I earn daily to clear the fee arrears. When I receive these transfers, I intend to use KES 50000 to clear their school fees, therefore, it will ease my financial burden as I will now put the extra amount on food for the household. Furthermore, as future financial security, I will use the rest of the transfers to purchase a dairy cow to boost my milk business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
There have been prolonged rains in my area for most of the days in the past 6 months. This has been a relief to me as a farmer as I planted maize and beans on my farm. I am all smiles now as I already harvested 2 bags of beans away from the ordinary half-bag. My maize plantation is also doing well and I look forward to a greater harvest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability has been my biggest hardship. I have a family of 9 whom we depend on farming for a living. I cultivate maize and beans of which a larger portion of the harvest, KES 25000, caters for school fees for my 2 children in grade 11. This is inadequate as I am required to pay KES 50000 per year. They are forced to stay out of school on some occasions for they still have some arrears. When I see them at home while their peers are in school, I get depressed for I know they are missing out on the lessons and their future will be ruined.
