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 ($464 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?
I did not have a new goal since I had planned on building a decent and spacious house for my family. The construction is ongoing and almost moving into the new house. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has enabled me to own a better and more spacious house.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Most of the people who received the transfer from GiveDirectly spent the money on purchasing building materials, paying school fees for their children in various schools and even starting businesses. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent all the second transfer on purchasing, sand, gravel and cement. I am currently building a brick house. I lived in a small mud house before. We were being exposed to dusty particles. I had always wished to own a better and permanent house. I depend on Small scale farming, this does not give enough income to purchase the building materials. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I decided to invest in this housing project. The construction is ongoing though I have exhausted the money. I will look for extra money to complete the remaining parts, with the help of my children I know this will be possible. I look forward to moving to a decent house and living in a dusty free house. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfill my dream.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The happiness I had at the moment I received the transfer was immeasurable. I had been expecting this money since I was enrolled in the program, and when I finally received it, I was grateful. At that moment, I was with my grandchildren who helped me in reading and translating the message. I had to call my helper to confirm whether the message was really a legitimate one and indeed it was. We planned to withdraw after three days as many people were visiting the Mpesa shops on the first two days and saw no need to fight for the withdrawal points when I still had time to figure out how best I would spend.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Initiating the start of the construction work after receiving the first transfer is the biggest difference in my daily life. I had been hoping to see a start of this project but had never been easy. I have never had a reliable source of income. I am hoping to see the start of the construction work sooner when I receive the second transfer now that I have almost all the required construction materials.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After the withdrawal of my first transfer on the third day after receiving, I dedicated KES44000 to obtaining construction materials for the construction of a new house. I needed bricks, sand, cement, and had to also pay the transport cost from the source to my doorstep. After letting all my children start their own families, I was left in an old house that even though it had spacious rooms, I needed to construct a smaller and decent one. With the remaining amount, I managed to visit the hospital as I needed an eye check-up. After the visit, I have scheduled an operation that will take place in November. I am glad that I managed to assemble construction materials and even though the construction has not started, I am hopeful that the second transfer will enable me to start the work.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am growing old and soon I would be able to engage more in household chores as I used. I have been living in a mud-walled house for my entire marriage where I have to smear not less than twice a month to reduce the dust and filled the cracks. This is so tiring and time-consuming, I thank my daughters who always helped, and now that they are married I am left alone in my house. When I receive my cash transfer, I will spend KES 70000 to build a new small permanent house. This will save me energy and gives me better comfort. As a way of investing the transfer, I will use KES 15000 to build a good chicken house and add some poultry hence I will have more eggs production for both household consumption and sales to earn an income. In addition, I use KES 25000 on my household daily needs and personal basic needs mainly clothing, food and my eyes medication.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning just after waking up after a long night rest. This the time my minds are so fresh and relaxed.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I lost my husband in the year 2003 while my children were in various schools forcing me to stand for them With both casual labor and subsistence farming I used to rely on them, paying fees of more than five children each term wasn't easy. Lack of finances is the biggest hardship I have faced in my life I remember the hard, low-paying casual jobs I did to meet the family needs was not easy.
