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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Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was a great feeling to receive the first transfer around 4:00 pm. I had the phone with me at that moment but was not able to comprehend the information in that messages and had to be assisted by my helper who managed to read and made all the necessary confirmation to ensure that it was indeed the transfer that we were set to receive. I was so excited to set my plans clear before the transfer was collected by my helper in the nearby shopping center the day after.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the complete turn of events in the household after receiving the first transfer. Previously I was fully dependent on the casual labor that would strain me a lot only to earn me a little income at the end of the day. I am glad that I can now work on personal projects both within the household and even on the farm without expecting any directions from anyone. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for giving me a chance to see the value of what I had and can now earn from it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The joy that I had on receiving the first transfer was equally expressed by my daughter who never got a chance to be enrolled even though he children but living under the same roof with me. She has been of great help to me and every fortune coming in has been serving both of us. With the first transfer that I received, I paid KES 20000 school fees for her two children who have been struggling to catch up with the other pupils in school since they would miss most classes per term whenever their mother fails to clear the arrears in time. I also constructed a new house that would give them a room big enough for the children to sleep in and even do their evening studies after school. For the whole construction work and the payment of the labor charges, I had spent a total of KES 25000. I spent part of the remaining amount on household goods that included a mattress, clothes, and also kitchenwares at KES5000, and finally spent the last bit of the transfer on buying a sack of maize that we are using as foodstuff.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been a casual worker for the past 6 years.Early last I was diagnosed with a serious illness and this rendered me weak and jobless.Because of this, I have had to depend fully on my only daughter who is also a single mother of 5 .She is self-employed working in a grocery to cater for her childrens' needs as well as mine.Receiving this money means food security and independence to me.I will buy a dairy cow amounting to KES 40000 , it will provide me with milk for consumption and the surplus for sale.The incomes I get from the sale will enable me access alll my basic needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last month my only daughter built this small hat for me.This has given me joy because the days of freezing in the colds and soaking in the rains are over. I am also anticipating that my health condition will improve because of better shelter.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity and poor health are the current challenges are currently facing. Early this year I was diagnosed with asthma and this is mainly associated with the poor shelter. My house leaks and the walls have fallen off, during cold periods I am extremely affected by the weather and this has led to this chronic illness. Due to my old age, I solely depend on my daughter who is a single mother of 5 . Aside from struggling for fees and food for her children she also ensures that I eat.When she fails to get incomes from her grocery we all stay hungry.
