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 ($468 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Yes, I had a new goal that I didn't have before the second transfer which was to build a new house for my children. For all those years, they have been sleeping at their grandparent's relatively small house. This has been frustrating me for a long and I am optimistic that I will fulfill it soon.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did so well in my village by ensuring that every needy house was visited. Also, we all received the money on time as we had been promised earlier during the registration period. This has empowered us to construct beautiful houses and own livestock which has been our long-time dream. Therefore I do not see any part GiveDirectly needs to change.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a huge portion of my second transfer on clearing school fees arrears for my daughter who is in her second year pursuing a teaching course. I am glad that she is now studying peacefully without any disturbances like before. Having a family of seven it was tough providing for their meals and paying school fees at the same time. With the remaining amount money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family which will take us to the next harvesting season. My children no longer sleep meals since it was like a routine. They are now healthier and most importantly happier.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($492 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
While standing still at the door of my house at around 10am, I was surprised to see some neighbors and other family members ululating and celebrating. My daughter who is also my daughter came into the house at a lightning speed. She went straight to where my phone was, I just heard her shouting GiveDirectly! While still wondering, she came and informed me that the transfers of KES 55,000.00 had been sent. I joyfully jumped up and down while ululating after picturing the solution the money has brought into the problems I had.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is paying school fees for my college child. Initially I was really struggling with my charcoal making business which couldn’t support as well as applying for bursaries which wasn’t reliable too. The second difference is the food factor. As of now my family has an access to daily food not as before when we used to take meals once a day.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon withdrawing the money, the first thing I did was to pay KES 20,000.00 school fees for my child who is in college. Thereafter, I bought 2 cows for KES 20,000.00 and bought a nice mattress for KES 5000.00 because the one I had was worn out. For the remaining amount, I bought some clothes for my children and also some food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to settle all the debts I borrowed from my neighbours as I wanted to take my daughter to school. My daughter was joining secondary school and I did not have the required amount of money to cater for the shopping, admission fees and tuition fees. I was forced to borrow a total of KES. 35,000 from neighbours. Immediately I receive my first transfer from GiveDirectly, I will use KES. 35,000 to settle all the debts so that I can build trust with my neighbours. I will use a further KES. 6,000 to buy a new mattress so that I can have some peaceful sleep at night. I will use the balance to buy enough food for my family. Sometimes, drought in our area is so persistent to an extent that we fail to harvest anything. This leads to food insecurity and the money I will receive will ensure that my family is supplied with enough food.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day. I engage in charcoal burning in the morning and afternoon. This occupation is energy draining and gets me exhausted. In the evening, I get home to reunite with my family, take a meal together and later retire to bed and this makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is lack of money to cater for my family's basic needs such as education, clothing and food. I do not have any reliable source of income which makes my family lead miserable life. The only occupation I rely own is the energy draining charcoal burning which only earns me peanuts. My husband is selling fresh water in town. However, due to the emergency of refined water, his business was drastically affected and he can only make KES. 300 a day. This is not sustainable at all and has led to suffering in my family of seven.
