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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Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 5:55 Pm when I heard a message notification from my phone. I was relaxing after a busy day. When I checked it out I could not believe my eyes, it was a message confirming that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was with my neighbor and she equally received the transfer. We all celebrated the good news. It was one of the happiest evenings we have ever had. I knew I would be able to purchase a water tank which was always my wish. The following day I sent my son to withdraw the money and we started planning as a family. I am grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed 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 purchased a water tank. This was one of my main concerns. I used to walk for a long distance to collect water for domestic uses. This is time-consuming and tedious. We always wanted to have a water tank but there was no money to buy one. We would drink dirty water and we were being exposed to water-related diseases. I depend on the majority on farming, I plant maize and beans all this is for family consumption. sometimes I would sell the milk from my dairy keeping project. The money that I would get was so small and I was not in a position to save. I had other household basic needs that needed to be attended to. Currently, I have clean water. I no longer walk for quite long distances like before. I have saved the time to do other chores at home. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 14,500 on purchasing a water tank. This is because I used to walk for a long distance to collect water for domestic uses. This was so tedious and time-consuming. I had always wished to own a water tank but I did not have the money. Currently, I have enough water and I no longer walk that long distance as before. I spent KES 9,600 on purchasing iron sheets ready to build a kitchen house when I received the second transfer. I spent KES 11,000 on purchasing ceiling boards to complete the construction of the new house that I had built. Currently, my house looks decent. The remaining amount of money I spent on purchasing food and a farm pumping machine.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving money from Give Directly will mean my twins will be able to join and complete college studies. One of the twins is a second-year student studying Electrical Engineering at Mombasa college. The other twin was unable to join college due to a lack of school fees although she has an admission letter to join Kenya medical training college to study for a diploma in nursing in September, I am planning on spending KES 57000 to pay her first-semester school fees. It will be my joy to see her pursue her dream of being a nurse, she has always had a passion for nursing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
We were able to harvest 3 sacs of maize from my farm which will sustain my family throughout the year. Previously we have been having low or no harvest because of maize diseases which have invested maize crops in our area. This is a big win for me because I will be able to save some money from my daily expenditures.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being an elderly woman, I have developed waist and knee problems due to old age, I am unable to do my daily activities like weeding my garden and milking the cow. I am therefore forced to employ someone to do the chores, this has been costly because I spend KES 200 per day. I do not have a stable source of income since I depend on subsistence farming to enable me to cater for all the bills like medication, school fees, and food for the family, especially with the high cost of living in our country.
