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 ($417 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am pleased and satisfied with what I have accomplished thus far. It's difficult to plan my next goal because my hands are tied due to financial constraints, but above all, I am grateful to have accomplished so much in such a short period.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The transfer from GiveDirectly occurred when we least expected it. GiveDirectly's operations were excellent, particularly in terms of how quickly it carried out its activities. I consider myself fortunate to have received the unconditional transfer, which has improved the lives of so many people in my village. Its impact is clearly visible, for which I am eternally grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Farming is my primary source of income because it is how I make a living. I am blessed to have seven children. My life was greatly improved by the transfer from GiveDirectly. This was because I was confident that I would finally be able to realize my ambitions. I chose to spend $450 of the money on purchasing a dairy cow to reduce the cost of milk, for which I frequently pay $0.5 for a liter. This was becoming expensive. Finally, I spent the remaining funds on groceries. All of this was previously not possible due to financial constraints as I am a widow and the sole breadwinner. I consider myself fortunate to have benefited from the program that has had an impact on our community.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
When I received the money I felt so happy. I remember it was around 7 am when my son came home and checked my phone. There was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. When he told me so I felt so happy and grateful. This is because I have never received such an amount of money before. It was one of the happiest days of my life. We took breakfast and went to withdraw the money from the MPesa shop. I knew I would be able to buy building materials and build a better and decent house. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have a decent and spacious house. This was my main concern since the house where I lived was small and dusty. Due to my age, I was not able to maintain it well. I had always wished to build a timber house since it's easy today to maintain and I am not exposed to dust. I depend on small-scale farming of Sweet potatoes and vegetables. These were mainly for consumption. I had no extra harvest to sell so I can afford to buy the materials. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I felt so happy and grateful. I was able to build a decent and spacious house. Currently, I no longer get worried about where to get some soil to smear the floor, whenever I have visitors I no longer shy off. I live a better life than before. GiveDirectly has given me a chance to fulfill my dream. I will not take this for granted but rather appreciate the people who supported us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend KES 30,000 on purchasing building materials and building a better and more spacious timber house. I lived in a small mud house and it was so hard to maintain it. Currently, I have a decent house and I am so grateful. I spend KES 25,000 on purchasing a heifer. I will be able to get enough milk when it reproduces in the next few months. I will cut the daily cost of buying milk which is so costly. For the rest of the money, I bought food and household items.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a widow, my husband passed on sometime in 2017. As the Kipsigis culture demands when the head of the family has passed on the house needs to be demolished to signify the fall of an era of the household head, especially the grass thatched house. This is the norm and if those rights are not done something badly will happen, as a result, the house I had was demolished and therefore I do not have a kitchen. I was forced to use a separate iron-roofed house that was for other purposes (dining and sleeping). Since the kitchen was demolished I have not been able to construct another one because of a lack of finances. Receiving this money will enable me to build a modern iron-roofed kitchen. I am so happy at the imagination of it. I never knew that I will ever be able to build one. I plan to build a house worth KES 25000 and use the rest of the money to buy a dairy cow.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have 3 daughters who are all married. They come from time to time to check on us, especially my ailing son. We find solace in them and we relive truly fond memories when they are around. I always look forward to their visit, they visited us last December and it was a momentous time for us, I was so overjoyed.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My third-born son is epileptic, it is a bad disease and it has caused me a lot of pain and suffering. He get seizures from time to time even at night, it is risky to leave him alone since he might get an attack and fall in the fire and neither can he go to the dam alone to fetch water because of the danger of drowning. He has several convulsion and he has even lost his upper teeth as a result of the injuries he sustained when he convulse. We have attended several hospitals and even used the traditional herbs but no significant improvement has been registered. I am a worried woman, it disturbs me a lot. I pray to God to heal my son to live a normal life like other children.
