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 ($475 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I had always wanted to start a business of buying and selling sheep since once they lamb I can sell them to earn a living.The sheep I purchased will not only be sold but I can also use for domestic purposes.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give directly does well by giving unconditional cash transfers to individuals since they are able to prioritize on purchasing what we lack in this case it is the basic needs.I do not see what Givedirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Once I received my second cash transfer,I chose to purchase seven sheep and each costed Kshs.4500 which in total became Kshs.31,500.This will not only benefit me domestically but also as a source of income. In addition, I decided to spend Kshs.9000 on food which will sustain my family for the better part of the year.With the remaining amount I used to buy school uniforms and home clothing for my children and myself.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($505 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was tending to my animals the moment I heard my phone ringing when I checked, I saw a Mpesa alert showing that I had received money from GiveDirectly, I was filled with joy and happiness, It was the happiest day in my life that I will not forget in a hurry, Immediately I called my husband to inform him of the good news, and he too was happy and grateful.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Receiving this money has impacted my life positively, I now live in a decent house, an iron sheet roofed house unlike before where my house was small and grass thatched. I am humbled and grateful that I was able to achieve all these with the Aid I had received from GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a farmer, my husband is a masonry but makes very little income from his casual job, The income that he gets is hardly enough for our basic needs, I live in a small grass-thatched house, I had a dream of improving my house but this was not possible due to our financial constraints, I was relieved When I received my transfer, I used $250 to build a decent house for my family, the remaining part of the transfer I bought foodstuff enough to last for a while.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will enable my spouse and I to build a bigger house.We are currently a family of four and soon we will have an addition in the family.The hut that we live in currently serves as both our kitchen as well as sleeping place.Having one house serving all these purposes also means that the smoke from the fireplace affects the young children,and also my husband cannot sleep in late in the morning as I wake up early to prepare breakfast for the children because of the same.We intend to build an iron-roofed house which will cost us approximately Sh 40,000.Aside from having a comfortable house,buying a cow to provide milk for our three young children will also be worth doing at this point so that we do not have to infringe on the little that our parents would have rather sold to earn an income.I intend to buy a dairy cow for Sh 30,000 and use any remainder to buy food for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In my current state,doing most manual jobs has become a bit difficult.The only activities I engage in is herding our parent's cattle.Even though this is not very involving and tiring,doing this under the scorching sun also wears me out.Everyday,I cannot wait for evening so that I can at least rest my tired feet.When this time comes,am usually very happy as I also get time to spend with my young children and spouse.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced is providing for the needs of my family sufficiently without a stable source of income.My spouse works as a house constructor and this is not a regular job that can be relied on 100%.It is not everyday that a building comes up around this area.This means that he can even go for a whole month without any such jobs.These are usually the hardest times because we cannot rely on our farms to produce food due to prolonged drought that is frequent in this area.We are then left to search for casual jobs to meet the most basic needs.These jobs are also not guaranteed hence chances of our family going without food are usually high.
