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 ($480 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The biggest change in my daily life is that I am now living happily in a decent permanent house with my family. The initial house was an old-leaking traditional house which wasn’t safe to dwell in. This condition forced me to start making and selling charcoal which is now a heavy task for me due to old age. My life has been full of challenges since access to daily food was a problem. But since GiveDirectly chipped in; my live is now different and I feel fulfilled with what I have achieved with these transfers. I am now a happy and confident mother unlike before. My future is bright, no more stress in my life and children are going to school comfortably unlike before when they could spent most of the time at home due to school fees.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has improved our lives through the transfers we were sent. From the transfers, we construct houses, bought livestock and other things which we were highly in need of. Everything has been so smooth in my experience with GiveDirectly, and so there isn't anything they haven't done well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My biggest cry was to have a decent and a comfortable house to accommodate my family. This has been impossible to achieve since I am no longer able to make charcoals for sale as before due to old age. We, therefore, lived in a small old-leaking traditional house that was congested. When I received the first transfer, I started building a better house, but I could not complete it since the money was not enough. For this reason, I opted to wait for the 2nd transfer so as to complete the house. As at now the house is complete and my family is living comfortably. I also used part of the second transfer to pay school fees for my children, I also bought 2 goats and a bed; and saved the rest for the family’s upkeep.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($513 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I can still remember very well it was exactly 8 AM when I was cleaning my compound when one of my sons broke the news that I had finally received my first transfer as promised. I could not hold the joy because at first I even thought it was a prank. Getting a huge amount of money, which is nonrefundable still feels like a dream yo me. I will forever be grateful to God for bringing GiveDirectly into my village.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before GiveDirectly came into my life, I used to stay in a small house which could not accommodate some of my family members. I had really been yearning to build a new one for quite a long time but I could not afford it because the materials needed were very expensive and the little I was only enough for the family's upkeep. Therefore for all those years, my children have been sleeping in my relative's hoses which were not good at all because they also had their families as well. This has been frustrating me as a parent and sometimes I could feel I had failed my children. The joy of sheltering with my family under the same house has really been a dream and I thank God through GiveDirectly, I managed to accomplished it. Therefore having my own spacious house makes the biggest difference in my daily life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying several building materials such as building poles, iron sheets, threads, timber, and nails. This was purposely for the construction of a new decent house to replace the old one which was a round hut with a leaky grass-thatched roof. During the winter season, we used to seek shelter from our neighbors which were so hectic. I later paid the masson KES 10000 as the labor charge. I also bought new school uniforms for my children who are still in primary school. With the amount of money that had remained, I bought sufficient foodstuff for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have wished to start goats rearing as an alternative source of livelihood for my family. This is because the farming we have been depending on have been heavy affected by the drought we are experiencing at the moment. My plan is to purchase 10 goats @ 30 dollars each once I receive my transfer.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning is the happiest part of the day waking up healthy and refreshed for my days activities gives me hope and strength to work hard for a better future.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income has been my biggest hardship. Being a single parent I have struggle a lot to support my kids educational needs. The Givedirectly transfer will reduce the burden of feeding my family as well as paying for the school fees since I am planning to spend them wisely.