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 ($519 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent a larger portion of my second transfer on buying livestock which includes a heifer and some sheep. I am expecting them to reproduce and increase in number. These are assets that I can lean on to cater to my children's education. Also, I spent some amount to build a more spacious house for my family. With my growing family, our current house would soon become small and we will be lacking privacy as parents. Due to this, we settled on building a bigger house so that when the time comes, we will not be worried about how to get money to use in building the house.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, the coming of GiveDirectly to us has changed the way we live. Everyone in our village was able to achieve their goals in different ways using the transfers. I do not see anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
A larger portion of my transfer went to buying livestock. I now have sheep and cows which I am keeping. Had it not have been this money, I would not have purchased any at my own cost. These are assets to me that I can readily lean on in case of a financial problem. I am expecting them to reproduce and have many of them. The income from milk sales will enable me to pay for my children's education.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer to buy a dairy cow, two goats and sofa seats. I also used part of my transfer to pay casual workers who were working on my farm and used the remaining amount was used to buy building materials as I get ready to build a house once I receive my second transfer.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt so happy the moment I received my money. I remember very well that it was very early in the morning when my neighbor called me asking whether I had received any money from GiveDirectly. I had not heard my phone ring so I never expected that I had received any. On checking my phone, I was lost for words when I learned that I had just received a sum of KES 55000. I had never received such an amount of money before. I was happy not only because the money was a lot but because of the fact that I was not required to pay back. We all celebrated as a family and got down to planning on how to spend the money with my spouse.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to buy a dairy cow and two goats. These are very important assets in everyday life since they are always of great importance especially when faced with financial emergencies. The idea of buying a dairy cow was triggered by the fact that we had been buying milk from our neighbors for quite a long time and it had proven to be quite expensive. I entirely depend on casual jobs to raise money to feed my family which is sometimes hard to find or pays very little. This would mean that we would have tom skip some meals on days that I did not secure such jobs and it often left me dejected as the head of the family. Currently, I do not buy milk, my family has enough and I sell the surplus to meet other additional needs for my family. I have reduced the casual jobs and I have devoted most of my time on my own farm and this has led to a good harvest. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed my standards of living.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Maize farming is considered an important source of income and food by our people. Being an ASAL area, climatic conditions often take a toll on these produce. When maize wither, most farmers starve and their children drop out of school due to lack of alternative sources of income. We experience such a season every year. Since I dropped out of school, I do not have any skills to earn me decent employment as a source of income. Therefore I have to strain whenever I get casual job opportunities so as to save for the famine season.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I recently got married and spending time with my wife makes me happy. Since I want to make her comfortable, I set out every morning for casual jobs in the village. Returning home in the evening with food and a few shillings make me a proud husband. This is the happiest part of my day.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Livestock play a massive role as source of income in my community. They are also an important wealth in terms of monetary savings. When I get my first transfer, I am going to invest a huge chunk of it on 15 sheep. My choice for this breed is inspired by their prolificacy and ability to multiply within a short period of time. I have a dream of increasing the size of my land in future and what better investment to fulfill this ambition than this.