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 ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am now living a better life because I was able to construct a decent house for my family. Previously, I was living in my neighbour's house after my house collapse. I was not comfortable in someone's house since I was sharing a room with her children. Moreover, we were able to get a motorbike which has helped us in getting water and earns us an income. We are now getting our daily basic needs like food without straining a lot unlike before. I
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Givedirectly did well for sending us cash transfer which has helped us since we used it wisely and has transformed our life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My daughter in-law and I decided to contribute $280 of our second transfers each for the purchase a new motorbike. The motorbike is assisting us in getting water for my family since we are experiencing drought at the moment. Also, we engage it in motorbike taxi which earns us a living of 2.5 dollars per day. In addition, I bought a bed and mattress since I was using traditional beddings which were worn out and was not comfortable to lie on.The remaining amount assisted me to purchase enough food for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember receiving a message around midday in my phone as I was having lunch with my family. When I checked the contents, I realised it was an Mpesa message. I was not expecting to receive money from anyone. I was curious to know who could have sent me the money. To my surprise, it was my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt happy and thanked them for fulfilling their promise to us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that through the transfer, I managed to build a new iron roofed house. My previous house was in a bad state and grass thatched. It was full of cracks and leaking during rains. I could not renovate it due to my lowly financial status. My life today is different after receiving the money because I am now sheltering in my newly constructed iron roofed house. Had I not received this support, I would still be living in my old grass thatched house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a larger portion of my first transfer on buying building materials which include iron sheets, nails and building poles to build a new decent house. My old living house has been in a bad state, full of cracks with one side nearly collapsing. Furthermore, it was grass thatched and I could not renovate it since I did not have enough financial resources to accomplish this. I am now at peace having upgraded to a new spacious and iron roofed house. In addition to this, I also paid school fees for my grandsons and they were allowed to continue with their studies without interruptions.
Enrolled
access_time almost 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to fulfil my desire of owning two oxen for ploughing.Due to financial problems, I have not been able to have them. When I receive the money, I intend to use 50,000 Kenya shillings to buy two oxen and five goats. These livestock will provide income to assist in my financial needs. I will also use 35,000 Kenya shillings to build a two-roomed house because the current house is not spacious enough.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being a casual labourer ,this job drains more energy because I work for long hours in the sun.I leave my house at 7 am and get back at home at 5:30 pm. Evening is the happiest part of my day because I relax after a very tiresome day. I relax while sharing a meal with my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I depend on my farm to get income but this has not been enough to cater for all my needs. This forces me to look for casual jobs in people's farm. With the casual jobs , I get around 5,000 Kenya shillings in a month. This is still not enough to satisfy all the basic needs. My desire has always been to buy two oxen to help me plough people's farms but I have not been able to fulfil that due to low income. Low income has therefore been my biggest hardship.