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 ($518 USD)
access_time over 4 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 different than how it would have been if I never received the transfer. I used to live in a small one-room grass-thatched house with a leaking roof. Due to this, we had no privacy as a family and during the rainy seasons, we were always forced to sleep in one corner. It had always been my dream to build a bigger and decent house but I had not been able to due to lack of finances. Renovating this house had also proved to be a difficult task due to overwhelming family needs. My transfers enabled me to build a spacious Iron-roofed house and kitchen for my family. I would have taken an eternity to achieve this but I thank God for leading GiveDirectly to our village.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by uplifting our lives in different ways and I do not see anything that they did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfer, I spent a good amount to buy two heifers. I settled on this as a way of investing this money so that I will be able to earn an income through milk sales when it reproduces. Also, I bought three sets of seats as I had just completed building a house for my family and saw the need of buying them since we did not have any. I spent the remaining amount on my family's welfare. I bought some decent clothes for my children and food to last us for some time.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I have been living in a small house which was not in good condition. Its roof was always leaking and I could not be able to meet the full cost of renovating it. This always rendered our beddings soaked with rainwater whenever it rained and it was always a big shame for us to seek shelter from my inlaws during the rainy seasons. Being able to build a decent house for my family is the biggest difference in my daily life which GiveDirectly has made it possible.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was still early in the morning when I received a message alert on my phone. Since I was awake, I decided to read it to know who the sender was. Upon realizing that GiveDirectly had sent me the money, I became so happy as I knew that my dream of building a house for my family would soon be realized.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my transfer, I spent it to buy some building materials majorly iron sheets, windows, doors, and nails to use in building a bigger and decent house for my family. I also paid a mason the full cost of this work. The house I was living in was small, dilapidated and its roof was always leaking during the rainy season. My children always had to seek shelter from our neighbors as we could not sleep with them in the same room. I still have KES 7000 which I will use in case of an emergency.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been residing in my brother-in-law's house for a long time. He only relocated and I know he'll claim his property once he comes back. Upon receiving my first transfer, I am aspiring to build two corrugated roofed houses for my family of eight. Therefore receiving this money is big relief and an assurance of security for shelter.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning till afternoon. My children are home for a month's holiday from school. In the morning, they look after the livestock, feed them and bring them home for milking in the afternoon. They have accorded me big relief because unlike before, I have enough time to do other domestic chores like laundry and cultivating my farm. Therefore there's so much to achieve now that they're at home and this makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
With an incessant increasing population, size of land for farming has continued to decline. This has massively hampered food production resulting in food insecurity, not to mention a soil borne disease that has condemned the community to food shortage over the last decade. As for my case, I have six children and with no employment nor a source of income. It has become so hard by day to put food on the table. My biggest worry is that the ripple effects are going to greatly take a toll on their education thus making them drop out of school. This is the biggest hardship I've faced in my life.
