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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is now different than how it would have been because I am now hopeful and happier. Through the transfers, I managed to purchase 2 pairs of oxen and three dairy cows. These have been the well thoughtful living assets that I have been yearning to keep in my compound but becasue of my low income, I couldn't afford them. Currently, I hired one of the pair of oxen to my neighbors ata a fee and generate an income. With the other pair, it has been of great help to me becasue I no longer use my hands in ploughing my farm. Also, I am now preparing the farm in time and this assures me if harvesting a lot Apart from that, the oxen have been of great support in fetching water from the dam, I non longer use my hands to carry the jerricans like before. To add to that, the dairy cows are now providing me with milk that is for my family's consumption and commercial purposes.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well becasue in the whole enrolment exercise there as no complaints at all from the village. This shows everyone was satisfied and the fact that there was no discrimination was the best of all. The staff were also friendly and approachable, they were able to respond to our queries appropriately. I do not see any part GiveDirectly failed us
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying livestock such as three dairy cows. Cows normally have numerous benefits and so on, through them, my life will never be the same again. I settled in buying them becasue I have the experience of taking casew of them, I was once a herdsman some years back at my friend's compound. Also, I cleared school fees arrears for my daughters who were about to sit for their exams and if it were not for the help, they would have missed the exams. Also, with the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 2 PM when we were having lunch with my family members. My phone started ringing without stopping for about a minute. This was so unusual and my elder daughter decided to check what it could be. After checking she realized that it was an Mpesa message from GD. I felt so happy together with my family for receiving such a massive blessing into our lives
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own a pair of oxen. Previously, I used to hire those of my friends whenever I wanted to prepare my farm. This was costly for me and sometimes I could fail to prepare and plant on time which led to poor harvesting products. I am now a happy farmer because I can plough my farm in good time unlike before. This has really helped me from the expenses of hiring labor the way I used to do. Whenever I did not have enough money for labour, I was forced to use my own hands and this meant that I would only dig and plant a small section of my farm. I am now optimistic that I will be getting plenty of harvests because I am in a position to utilize my whole farm.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some livestock such as a pair of oxen and two goats worthy of KES 37000. These have been the well thoughtful assets that I can depend on just in case of any financial constraints. Also, I bought some stationery and new school uniforms for my children. With the amount of money that had remained, I bought enough foodstuff for my family and some other household items.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
A separate house is generally what receiving this money means to me and this is because, as a polygamous household, we share one room with my co-wife including some of her young children. This has made our room look so congested since it's occupied by 3 beds yet it's small. I have desired to own a separate room and I intend to spend utmost $350 to have this desire achieved. On the other hand, I also wish to start livestock keeping and I intend to start with 10 goats which will cost me $30 each. This will change my livelihood and hence, a better living.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day is always busy and tiresome one because when I wake up, I fetch water from a water pan that is 5 kilometers away from home. On arrival, I take my ax ready to go to the bush to do my charcoal business until noon when I come back to take my first meal if it's available. It is only in the evening when I have ample time to relax as I take my dinner which re-energizes me for the next day's work.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life. This is because subsistence farming can not be depended on and the only source of income is charcoal burning which is unreliable considering that, it's time-consuming and its income is very low. The time I usually take to prepare 2 sacks of charcoal is 2 weeks and this means borrowing food from my relatives before I sell my charcoal to earn me $10.
