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 ($530 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different in that I have enough food for my family since I used part of transfer to buy maize which will will last up to the next harvesting season. Before receiving my transfer, I was struggling to provide food for my family with the little money I got from casual jobs. I also have solar lamps which I did not have in the past. I have been using kerosene and it was very expensive to buy daily.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give Directly does well by giving unconditional cash transfers and also without discriminating anyone. In my opinion I do see anything that Give Directly does not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I used my second transfer to buy a goat. This will provide milk for my family since currently I am buying milk and this is very expensive and at times we could take black tea when I did not get the money to buy milk. I also bought t two bags of maize for family consumption. I opted on this because I have been buying maize flour daily and this was costly. i saved the remaining amount in table banking and home bank since I am planning to lease a piece of land and do farming so that I can provide enough food for my family and sell the surplus to meet other family basic needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($536 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Initially, I used to buy my household necessities on credit and this is a history to me now. I get some money on a daily basis from the sell of my own milk which I get from the cow I bought and for this reason, I never lack anything I need. This has brought a big difference in my life since whenever I visit a shop, the shopkeeper will not be reminding me of an outstanding debt anymore as I now pay cash when buying what I need.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 8 am in the morning when my son requested to use my phone and I gave him. He then informed me that I had some unread messages and I requested him to read and inform me the messages it contained. To my surprise, he informed me that I had received money from GiveDirectly and that it was sent to me at 1 am. I was overwhelmed with happiness at that moment since the highest amount I have ever handled in my life is 5000 KES. The fact that I had received such a huge amount made me so happy until I did not continue taking my tea. I immediately requested him to take me to the nearest shopping centers so that I could withdraw the money as my happiness knew no bounds and I couldn't wait to have the solid money in my hands.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my first transfer I was a happy person with big dreams together with my husband but unfortunately, he took 20000KES out of the whole amount and refused to disclose how he used it. I used part of the remaining amount of the transfers in buying a cow. Despite having a cow, I decided to buy another one since my husband normally takes the money I get after selling milk. This made me yearn to own a cow so that I can sell my own milk and use the money I get in buying household necessities. I used the remaining amount to buy a solar and a battery. I have been charging my phone at the shopping centers and I used to fear that it might get lost one day. Sometimes, I do not have money to pay for phone charging services and this makes me be offline for long and I am not comfortable with it as GiveDirectly officers clearly mentioned to us during enrolment stage that we should avoid being offline. Having a solar will also help me save the money I usually use in buying paraffin and spend them on something else.
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this transfer means alot to me in a sense that I can do much developments.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is during the evening when I attend fellowship services in our church.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I've faced in my life is when we bought cows but they all died of diseases.