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 ($462 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With the first and the second transfer that I received from GiveDirectly,I have been able to accomplish a lot that I am grateful for. Among them is the newly built house that we now live in and the dairy cows that I bought but most importantly is the piece of land that I was able to buy for my family. My new goal therefore is to be able to buy furniture for my house soon enough. I run a small business that was equally boosted by income from GiveDirectly and my plans are to be able to take part in a merry go round contribution kitty that will see me accumulate enough money to help in realizing this goal. I am looking forward to accomplishing this plan and doing much more going into the future.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well in giving us information on how we could spend the money and this ensured that we reap maximum benefits from the transfers. The baraza that was done at village level was so informative and really empowered us to make wise decisions on how to spend the money. GiveDirectly officers did a wonderful job to say the least.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of four and my family have been staying in a borrowed house for sometime now. I felt this was not right all along but I never had the capability to change things as I would wish. I run a small business of buying and selling vegetables and this business could provide us with just enough to feed tha familly and keep going. When I received the second transfer, I used KES 10000 to clear a pending bill for a piece of land that I had bought using the first transfer. I used another KES 20000 to build a new house in that piece of land and the remaining amount of KES 24000 was used tro buy a dairy cow. GiveDirectly has empowered me by a great extent and made me feel a part of a society. My hopes have been renewd and I now feel so much happy raising my young children in our new home. I look forward to furnishing our new house to make it more comfortable and I will always be indebted to GiveDirectly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 7a.m when I opened my phone. I immediately received a message and when I checked, it was an MPESA message confirming a receipt of the first cash transfer from Give directly. I was very happy and immediately went and withdrew the transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Purchase of the land is the biggest difference in my daily life. I am so grateful for God and Give directly for making my dream come true.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Purchase of a piece of land was at the top of my priority list. Immediately I received I paid Kshs.45,000 for the land I had booked earlier own from my neighbor. I am so delighted since I also have somewhere I can take my livestock for grazing. With the remaining amount, I bought food and clothing for my family members.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will eventually own a piece of land. I separated with my husband 5 years ago due to some family differences and since then I have not gone back. I have been living in my parents land from the time I came and which is very small to accomodate a house for my family of 6 and at the same time do farming. My children desire to have a place to call home, this means buying a 1/8 acre of land and building it. I plan on spending KES 50,000 in purchasing land and another KES 30,000 in building a two-roomed house and a kitchen. This will greatly change my life and that of my children. There will be enough land to plant maize for home consumption and also space for my children to freely play.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I used to live next to my brother, but due to family differences and his habit of drinking he kept stressing me up to the extend that my children were not free to play or move around. In April this year, I moved some meters away from where he lives and we settled our differences. For the past 6 months I have had peace of mind and this has brought me joy because I can comfortably make my own decisions without any fear.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a single mother of 5 and at the same time the sole breadwinner is very challenging. I have a small vegetables business that I depend on to put food on the table. From this, I earn an average KES 250 per day which is not enough to cater for my family needs such as food, school fees and clothing. I barely save anything for emergencies and future use and sometimes I depend on small loans which I later repay in installments in order to sustain the daily needs of my children. This has prevented my business from growing also reducing the daily profits that I get.
