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
55000 KES ($536 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?
I am now keeping livestock in my compound, goats and cows. I wouldn't have bought any of these if at all I was to buy them at my own cost. With the pair of oxen in my home, it will help me in doing my farming timely and early for a better harvest. I also have some goats which will reproduce and as they increase in number, I will be selling the offspring and raise finance in case of a dire need. I am also in the process of renovating my house using bricks and cement since it is muddied to make it more permanent.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, the coming of GiveDirectly to us has totally changed the way we live. We now have access to better shelter and also our children are comfortable in school. These were the major challenges facing us which in my opinion, GiveDirectly has helped to overcome. I do not see anything that it doesn't do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent a larger portion of my second transfer on buying livestock which include four goats at KES 12000 and a pair of oxen at KES 24000. I am using the pair of oxen to plough my farm. As for the goats, I am expecting them to reproduce and increase in number. I can lean on them for the future of my children's education. I bought some bricks, sand and bags of cement on the remaining amount in order to renovate my house since it is muddied.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Owning the goats is the biggest difference in my daily life so far. I am hoping very soon they will multiply because currently, some have started reproducing. My wish is to exchange the offsprings for a dairy cow, this is because the dairy cow is very expensive and I could not afford to purchase it in the first place when the first transfer came since I had some other needs to cater to. I hope that when I buy a dairy cow I will be getting milk from it, for my family consumption and also for sale. Thus, I will get an income that will help me in paying school fees for my children and also cater to some other basic needs for my family.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 10:00 pm when I saw the message notification. When I checked its content, it was from GiveDirectly indicating that they had debited my first transfer into my account as they had promised. At that moment, my heart was filled with joy since I knew that I would be able to achieve a lot using the transfers.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying som building materials like 20 iron sheets at KES 11000, some timber at KES 9000, some nails at KES 1100, 50 building poles at KES 1900,10 bags of cement at KES 7500 and sand at KES 7000. This was the construction of my new house. Previously my house was small and leaking and after receiving my transfer I decided to build a permanent one. I then bought goats as my assets. With the remaining amount of money, I will paid the mason.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
As a farmer who specializes in vegetable production, my biggest concern is water given that climatical conditions here are unpredictable and in most cases, drought situation is witnessed. At the moment, I use a hand driven cart to fetch 24 Jerricans (480 litres) of water daily to irrigate my crops whenever there are no rains. Receiving this money, therefore, means I will be able to rest from this laborious work because I am going to purchase a motorcycle to assist in ferrying water. This will boost my overall yield given that all my energy will be focused on farm work. Again I will use my motorcycle in ferrying passengers and that will earn me an extra income. Basically, that is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening. Since farm work is very involving, I rarely get time for myself during the day, and given that my children go to school, most of the work in the household awaits me. It is in the evening when I get time to rest and bond with the family. I also connect with my husband at this moment and that makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income has been the biggest hardship in life. My husband works as a loader in one of the maize millers in Mombasa. The nature of that job is dusty and toilsome. It has resulted in poor health and subsequently low productivity at work since he fails to report to work in some days. This again translates into poor pay of which myself and our children are largely affected. In most cases, we are unable to meet the educational needs of the children as well as his medical attention. This transfers will help us in bettering our lives. First of all, my husband will join me at home and assist in running the projects that we have agreed to put up. He is the one to operate the motorcycle taxi given that he has vast experience in it. I believe if we join our hands together, the family's wellbeing will greatly improve.
