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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($513 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Having a pair of an oxen has made my life to be totally different.They will help me in my farming activities since the pair can take less days to plough an acre compared to when I do the exercise. I am so glad because I will be getting some good harvests. Previously I used to get little harvests because I was the only one doing the exercise and tilling the whole acre was so hard. Apart from that, I will hire them to my neighbors at a fee and this will be my source of income since they are in higher demand.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly has done us so good. The whole village has now transformed in different ways. First, majority of us now have descent big permanent houses. Previously we used to sleep under small huts with leaking roofs. Which was so hectic. Secondly, majority of us have some solar panels which are helping our children at night in their studies. Apart from that I also use it to charge our mobile phones and those of our neighbors at a fee. Lastly almost everyone in my village own a livestock such as cows, goats and hens. This is like a dream to us because we were not expecting to have them anytime soon. We are going to benefit a lot from the livestock in the near future. According to me i do not see any sector that GiveDirectly has failed us.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying an ox at KES 17500. I had been longing to have it for a long period of time but I could not afford it. I then bought some pieces of iron sheets. This was purposely for the construction of my children's house because the previous one was not spacious. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family that will take us for a while. Previously we used to starve since getting the three meals a day was so hard.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($538 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The transfer has enabled me to purchase building materials which include iron sheets and poles to construct a new house. I have been living in a grass thatched house for long. I am happy that very soon my new, decent and iron roofed house will be complete and ready for sheltering. So far, this is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was informed by my helper that I had received an Mpesa notification on my phone. On checking to confirm who could have sent the money, I realized that it was from GiveDirectly. My first transfer had finally been sent. I was thankful to them and happy for the financial help from them. My family also rejoiced upon hearing the good news.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent KES 12500 of the transfer on buying four goats which I am keeping in my homestead. To me having goats are assets which I can lean on in case of any financial crisis. They will reproduce and I will have many of them as a source of wealth which will be like savings for the future. I have a pair of oxen which lacked an ox plough and I was borrowing from my neighbors when I needed to plough.Thus, on receiving the money, I purchased my own ox plough at KES 8000, thus relieving the stress of borrowing from neighbours. In addition to these, I also bought pieces of iron sheets and building poles to construct a new decent house. I have been living in a grass thatched house for long. GiveDirectly has improved my way of living since I will be sheltering in an iron roofed house. I also bought some foodstuffs for my family's consumption as well as paying for other household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a better and decent house for me and my son. The current one is old and the roof leaks terribly during rainy seasons such as now. I will also invest in my son's education by purchasing livestock that I will sell when he joins secondary school in two years' time. Lastly, I will buy oxen and an ox plough in order to expand farming hence ensuring constant supply of food in my household.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Afternoon is the happiest part of my day because I mostly interact with my neighbors and friends. This helps me to avoid loneliness that always leads to overthinking about my troubles.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I used to cut trees and burn charcoal in order to generate income for my family after my husband died but this led to health complications due to exposure to smoke and the laborious activities involved. This forced me to resign and at the moment I mostly depend on well wishers to feed, educate my son and also buy medication for myself. With little financial resources at hand, I don't see myself accomplishing much which saddens and frustrates me a lot.