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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by ensuring that we get empowerment through giving us unconditional transfers. The money is going to change my life for the better and will no longer live in poverty again. This is something that I commend from the organization as it also helps us open our minds and think critically about how best we can use the money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Two years ago, I was a proud farmer who owned over 15 cows and a few goats. When the drought kicked in, I lost 5 cows and some goats because of the effects of the drought. I then sold the remaining cows at a throwaway price before they die, too. After selling the cows, I used the money to build a bigger stone walled house than the one I am currently living in. I built a stone house because of the difficulties that come along with finding building poles. Because of the drought, it is hard to find the poles and they are very expensive. Rotting of the poles after a period leading to the collapsing of the house is another reason I built a permanent house. Unfortunately, the money I got from selling the cows was not enough to finish building the house. I earn a living by raising cattle, and the money I earn is too little to complete building the house. When I received my transfer, I spent KSH 2000 to buy stones that will finish building the house. I then spent KSH 600 to buy food for my family as I hardly had any amount of money left to buy food for my family. With the remaining KSH 400, I paid some exam fees for my two children who are in primary school for them to sit for their exams.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The day before I received the funds, I had taken a mobile money loan to buy food with. So, was busy thinking of where I would get the next meal from since my farming job wasn't doing well. When I received the funds, I felt thrilled. Now other than buying food, I collaborated with my wife on improving our home
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before I received the fund, I had been battling financial constraints. Meeting my family's daily needs was never easy. I had tried getting another job to increase my source of income but I never succeeded. Now with an assured monthly payment, my food budget will be covered. My wife and I also have plans to improve our home, from a mud house to a stone house. I believe this too will be fulfilled using these funds from give directly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I work as a pastoralist farmer. Where I get to rear people's livestock in my own farmland then after 3years, they are returned. During the period when the animals are still under my care, I get to keep the animal products like milk that I would sell. On the collection day, the owners of the livestock would give me a calf as a token of appreciation. The earnings are usually not much, therefore, I find myself struggling to meet my family's bill. So, when I got the funds from give directly, I used ksh120 to clear a loan I had taken, ksh300 to pay up the mason workers, since I am planning to improve my house and ksh780 I spent it on food.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Early when I was in my youthful years, I studied masonry and over the past years, I have managed to buy work tools through daily hustles. My dream has always been to open a workshop where I can make beds, chairs and other tools for sale but the biggest challenge is raising enough capital to buy materials. This has reduced me to a local livestock keeper whereby the prolonged drought has killed almost all the livestock that I had. Previously, I used to sell the livestock to provide for my family but now things have taken a difficult turn. A cow nowadays goes for as low as Ksh 2000, what can you do with that money? I better leave them to perish. Receiving this money means that I can take a bank loan to open a workshop and service the loans with the monthly transfers. This means that I will be able to provide for my children and educate them and I will never have to worry about drought again.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Even though selling my livestock was not my plan and the drought season has pushed me into selling almost all that I had, I am grateful that I utilized the money to build a house that is yet to be completed but I don't feel like it lost it all.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
With the prolonged drought, everyone's priority now is to put food on the table and therefore I rarely get called to make household tools like bed and chairs as before. Since I have no other source of income, I have resulted in selling my livestock. I have depleted the strong one and the remaining ones go for a very low price which is not enough to provide for my family especially with the most basic needs such as food and water.
