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 ($512 USD)
access_time 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 my wife was able to finish her college education. Since I only depended on a small income from casual work, I was not able to do much in life yet my wife too had registered for her college education. We had agreed I will support her in paying her fees when she registered. I have always struggled to raise money until her last examinations which she was going to miss without the transfers. I had borrowed a lot and I could not borrow anymore. I did not have any option of raising the money to pay on my own. I am glad I was able to clear her college fees balance and she was able to finish her college education in time. Without GD I would not have managed to clear the balance.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, I really like the idea of the method of giving cash. The idea of giving cash directly was the best method of assisting the vulnerable. If the transfer would have to pass through another medium, the amount received by the recipient would not have been the same as the amount received when sent direct. This is was the best way to reach the less fortunate. On the other hand, I do not see what GD has not done correctly and I support it fully.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my second transfers on buying a cow as a form of investment for myself. I have always wanted to own a cow at my tender age but due to low income from casual work, I was not able to. GD enabled me to achieve my goal through the transfers. I also bought chics which I will use in starting a poultry project. I have seen some of my colleagues in the village change their lives financially through this poultry business and I have decided to give it a try. I know I will succeed since there is demand for chicken from the nearby hotels. I used the rest of the transfer to buy building materials (iron sheets and Timber) which I used in building chicken shed for the poultry. I am glad they are doing well and the business is stable.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($532 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have expanded my small business of selling milk and I get higher profits and the rate of return is also higher compared to the previous times. I used to hire a motorcycle for transportation and it was so costly but nowadays I have my own which cut the cost by half. I no longer depend on someone else for transport and this has enabled me to attend to other activities at home because I save a lot of time. Before most of my clients were complaining of lateness during milk collection and this was caused by transport that was a bit challenging on my side. I have maintained all my clients and I no longer get complaints because I do the deliveries and payments on time.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my money I was so excited I could not believe my eyes. I was not expecting this to be early. I was so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. At that moment I knew I would be able to expand the business that I had been operating. Immediately, I forwarded the message to my spouse who was at school at that time and she was so happy. She came home the next day and we laid down the plans together on the expenditure.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spend KES 45000 of my first transfer on buying a second-hand motorcycle which had always been my wish. I operate a small business of selling milk. Every morning I do go around the village to collect milk from the dairy farmers. This is very expensive in terms of transportation from the village to the milk cooler plant hence having my own motorcycle will help me to cut the cost. The rests of the money I added stock to the business which has resulted in a higher rate of returns.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
For a long time I have been really interested in starting a dairy business but the logistics have been complicated especially due to lack of transport.Now that Give Directly will be giving me money,I am planning to buy a motor cycle which will facilitate the buying of milk from villagers and then distributing to my customers living in the urban centres.The remaining part of the transfer will help me expand my poultry unit.
What is the happiest part of your day?
After having breakfast in the morning , I feed the cows then embark on farming.I plant maize and beans and therefore most of the time I usually do weeding.After lunch I rest a little bit in the afternoon then take a shower and go to the nearby shopping centre where I spend the better part of the afternoon till late in the evening.This is the happiest part of my day since it is time to socialize with friends ,share ideas and keep a breast with the current issues.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I struggled with my studies due to lack of school fees.It began well until a point that my father who used to pay for my school fees drowned into alcoholism.He was a civil servant and therefore was in a position to pay my school fees but he neglected the duties.Things changed when I was in secondary school form three when I was on and off school.This really affected my studies.I finally completed secondary school but with a very poor grade.I was even willing to repeat two years of my secondary school but my father refused to support me.He started becoming violent which led to a very poor relationship with me.I was bright and I feel ashamed and demotivated especially when I meet my school mates who have good jobs.