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?
I do not have any other goal after accomplishing the main goals that I had. With the transfer, I was able to connect tap water to my house. At the moment, I am happy that we are able to get sufficient water for the family and no longer have to travel a long distance to get this precious commodity.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well for coming up with the transfer in our village and enrolling every poor household without discrimination. Apparently, I would say their is nothing that it did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Ever since I got married 20 years ago, I have not had the chance of owning proper and modern bedding. I spent KES 15,000 to purchase proper bedding for myself. Previously, I was using a traditional thread bed and a mat which requires constant repair and is not comfortable. Also, I boosted my poultry farming by purchasing their feeds and medicine. With the remaining amount, I bought sufficient food since I am still sick and no longer do the charcoal burning that I was doing.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was exactly 6 am, I had just woken up and was busy doing my small household chores like keeping my house and compound clean. My phone was in the pocket when it started vibrating an indication of a new message. I had to pass it over to one of my grandchild with whom we were together in the house. After checking, he told me that I had received the transfer. I felt extremely happy for receiving my transfer and thanked the organization for honoring its promise by sending us the transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that through the transfer, I was able to connect tap water to my house waiting for the meter gadgets for water to flow to my house. With this, I will be having a steady supply of water for my house consumption as well as sell them to my neighbors. Additionally, I currently own a separate kitchen from my main house all this was accomplished with the help of the transfer. I am very grateful for the transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my recent transfer to construct a decent kitchen for myself that will serve as the main cooking area. This was because I had been using my house as kitchen as well as a bedroom, and I lacked the finances to construct a separate kitchen. I spent the transfer to acquire the required building materials like 10 iron sheets, nails, and building poles at a total of KES 10,000. Similarly, I set aside KES 2,000 for the labor charges. Furthermore, I spent KES 15,000 to connect tap water to my house since I was fetching them from my neighbor which was a very long distance. Moreover, I am now less energetic to carry 20 liters of water on my back for a long distance because of my deteriorating health conditions due to old age.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Our traditional setup here requires our kitchen to be outside the main house. As you can see, my child, mine has fallen apart. When it rains, I am forced to cook in my house. I do not have much space so the smoke affects my health and that of my grandchildren. With the first transfer, I will use roughly KES 25,000 to reconstruct a small kitchen. I then intend to use the remaining bit of the money to install electricity in my house. I do not know how much is required but I hope what I will have then will be able to cover this cost. I am pretty excited to receive financial aid. I can't contain myself.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Over the December holidays, all my children came to the village. I was so happy to spend a week with them. I had not seen them for six months before December because they were busy at work. It felt great to catch up and share some love. I look forward to the next time I see them.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Due to my lack of finances, I cannot afford to feed as well as I should. My immune system is compromised and I keep falling sick. I am down with flu this time and battling something else the next. If I can afford a balanced diet, I believe that I could be healthy and be able to grow my food in my kitchen garden. That way, I will have a steady supply and will hopefully keep sickness at bay.
