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 ($441 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?
My new goal is to pay school fees for my children in full. I plan to engage more on casual labor and dairy farming to raise enough money and pay school fees for my children in time. It is a tough task to me since I have no one else to help me out yet casual work pays very little to us. I am optimistic that I will be able to raise enough money and pay the fee.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by giving people the freedom to choose what to spend the money on. Because I was given the freedom to choose how to spend the money, I was able to build a house and it brought a lot of contentment in me. This is something that is replicated among everyone that received this transfer. I did not find anything that I thought GiveDirectly could improve or did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used all of my second transfer to complete the construction of my house. I had already used the first transfer to build a new house and the second transfer just came in handy to help me complete the construction work. I used part of the money to erect a ceiling, part of it to cement the floor of my house and the amount that remained was used to buy and apply paint in the house. I had for a long time longed to have enough money that would allow me improve my house from a mud walled oke to that of timber wall. I could not raise this money before since I am a single mother and I rely entirely on subsistence farming which provides just enough to feed my family and nothing extra to save. I used to travel for long distances in search of the clay soil that is meant for maintaining the floor and the walls of the house but now that will be a thing of the past. I feel so much happy and very appreciative of the support I received from GiveDirectly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 6pm while milking cows when I heard an SMS alert on my phone. After milking, I checked my phone and confirmed to have received KES55000 from GiveDirectly. I was very happy and grateful to God.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the transfers is upgrading my semipermanent house to a modern timber-walled house.So far the the walls are complete and are beautiful and the floor is still under construction.I had desired to upgrade my house for the past four years when I heard from the neighboring district that GiveDirectly is giving out aid.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my transfer on upgrading my house from a mudwàlled house to a timber-walled house.I also spent KES3700 on a sack of maize and KES4000 on clearance of school fees for my kids.I normally rely on merry go round monthly contributions in order to pay my kids school fees.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means changing the appearance of my house. I have been living in an old and worn-out mud house for several years. I have gotten tired of regularly smearing the walls with mud since during rainy days they get affected. I intend to use KES 50000 to cater for timber, wood, labour, and other expenses to realize this. By doing this, I will not be tiring on previous frequent repairs of the mud walls. For the remaining balance, I intend to pay for the school fees of my last born who is in secondary school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have been in this village for the past 30 years. This area is classified as arid and semi-arid land and so there is prolonged drought hence not supporting agriculture. Life has been so difficult and when I heard about Givedirectly organization from my friends and relatives, I prayed to God for them to come to my village. Luckily enough, here they are and I am looking forward (if chosen to be among the beneficiaries) to making an informed decision on the best way to use the transfers.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a widow, my children solely depend on me to fend for them. I am a subsistence farmer growing vegetables and selling the surplus at our nearby market center. I average a profit of about KES 300 which is insufficient to exhaustively cater for the basic needs of my family.
