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 ($528 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have several children in school and I was at a point where I was almost giving up educating my children because I did not have any money to meet their school needs and for food. I am glad that it never reached that point because GiveDirectly came to my rescue. I am also happy that I was able to build an iron-roofed house. We used to live in one grass-thatched hut which acted as both the kitchen and bedroom, I did not even have a place to welcome my visitors. When I got the transfers, I decided to build one. We now have separate sleeping houses for the children and for us.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, I loved that we were taught in the baraza and given all the necessary information including how to safeguard our accounts and money prior to the actual registration. I mostly loved that cash was given to us instead of goods and services. This helped us meet our unique needs. The project was well done.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I used a big portion of the transfer to pay my four children's school fees in secondary school. I also built a small room for my sons to sleep in. I used the rest of the transfer to start a small business. I am currently running the business.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($536 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have cleared the school fees for my children in secondary school. I depend on the casual jobs in the village and farming to get an income to meet all the basic needs of the family including school fees for my children. I used to wake up in the morning go for casual jobs and came back during the evening and this denied me time to bond with my children. I could pay the fees in installments but still, my children could be sent home. This was affecting their performance because they could stay at home for a long time because I did not have the money to pay immediately. I was so much demoralized because of that. After getting the money from GiveDirectly I cleared all the school fees and my children are no longer sent home and this has improved their performance. I am so happy and I do my daily activities well without any stress like before.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment when I received my money I felt so happy. I remember it was very early in the morning around 5AM when I heard a message from my phone. When I reach out to check it was a message from GiveDirectly confirming that I have received a sum of 55000 KES. I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. I knew I will be able to pay school fees for my children in secondary school.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spend my first transfer to build a better and spacious house, I also paid school fees for my children in secondary school and the rest of the money I used it to buy, farm chemicals, clothes, sofa set seats and food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My family lives in a small hut.This has to accomodate all ten members of our family.In the evenings,my grown up children have to go to sleep in their grandmother's house because there isn't enough room here.I have always wished that I could build another house so that this one can serve as our kitchen as well as a sleeping place for the girls.Receiving this money will enable me to actualize this
What is the happiest part of your day?
After the children leave for school,I tend to the cows i.e feed and water then work in my farm.I work there for most part of the mornings till lunchtime.It is at this time that I am happiest because through this work and the proceeds of the farm,my family will be able to have a meal at the end of the day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having a big family and not being able to provide a good shelter and fees for them has been the biggest hardship I have faced for a long time.I have grown up children in Secondary school-two sons and a daughter.In our culture,It is considered inappropriate for grown up sons to sleep under the same roof as the parents.I have not been able to build them a separate house and have to sleep at a neighbour's house while the girls sleep at their grandmother's.This is mostly unsafe because they have to go there after their evening meals at night.Aside from that,there is the burden of school fees for the three of them totalling to sh 30000 per year.My spouse and I do not have a guaranteed source of income and the little we get from casual jobs also has to cater for their food.
