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 ($485 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?
My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have renovated my house to look better than before. I used to live in a mud floor house and I was being exposed to dust. Due to my age I was not in a position to smear the house daily. I had always wished to cement the floor but I didn't had money. I depend on small scale farming and dairy farming. The amount that I get through the sell of my farm produce is so small and cannot meet all the basic needs. I had no extra money to renovate the house. Currently I am no longer exposed to dust. I live in a decent house and whenever I had visitors they feel so comfortable. I look forward in saving more money to renote the other walls to make it the best. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard and am no longer worried of my health and safety.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 40,000 of the second transfer on purchasing building materials which includes cement, sand and dust. I cemented the floor and renovated the walls of my house to look better and decent. I used to live in a mud floor house. I also used KES 5,000 on school fees for my granddaughter who is in secondary school. The rest of the money I bought food and clothes. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($511 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
My heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving the moment I realized that I had received my transfer. I knew that God had answered my prayer and I would be able to achieve my goal of owning a dairy cow.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The emptiness and unworthy feeling in my life has been replaced by happiness in my daily life. This is because I have been able to achieve my dream of owning a dairy cow something I had never thought of ever achieving in my life. Due to this, I always have a reason to smile while looking for pastures for my dairy cows. I thank God for leading GiveDirectly to me and change my history. I am now a happy person knowing that very soon, I be earning an income through the sale of milk.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Buying milk had been my daily routine until one of my relatives decided to give me one of his cows I take care for him and as a return, I get free milk instead of buying them. When I received my transfer, I decided to spend KES 54000 to purchase two heifers. This is because I had always been saving some money with an aim of using it to buy a cow but had always end up using them on other things. Using the remaining amount, I bought some food for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will enable me to renovate my house whose current state is deplorable. The iron sheets are too old and leaks in water during rainy seasons hence an hazard to my health. I will also spend $150 of my transfer to plaster my house hence the living in a dust-full mud house will soon be a past tense. I also intend to buy 5 sheep which will be my store of wealth to be sold whenever need arises. Sheep multiplies faster and their market is readily available, which means that I will no longer have debts with anyone hence peace of mind.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being a subsistence farmer, I enjoy working in my farm since it is the only place I get food for my family consumption. I therefore spend 80%of my time in the farm. Taking an evening rest after a having achieved all that I had planned for the day makes evening the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Imagine living in a house which leaks in water during rainy seasons making the whole house dumpy! This has been my situation for the past 5 years yet being helpless, there is nothing much I can do to salvage the situation. Catching cold and flu is my daily norm thus weakening my immunity. This is the biggest hardship I face
