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
53010 KES ($359 USD)
access_time 12 months ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a significant portion of the $300 transfer on settling some overdue school fees for our three children. One is enrolled in high school, while the other two attend a private primary school. Our primary aim was to ensure they could concentrate on their studies without worrying about being sent home due to unpaid fees. This had been a persistent challenge for us, given my spouse's occupation as a mason, which had experienced a downturn, affecting our income.
In addition, I allocated $100 to purchase clothing for my family, ensuring that each member had new outfits for the Christmas holiday. It is a tradition in our community to wear new clothes during the festive season. The remaining funds were used to procure food supplies, ensuring that we had a bountiful stock of provisions during the holiday period. This allowed us to celebrate and revel in the holiday season. Thanks to these funds, my children experienced a joyful holiday, a departure from previous years when financial constraints limited our celebrations. This support from GD truly made our holiday special and heartwarming.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I must say, GD has made a significant impact by providing us with unconditional transfers tailored to our specific needs. Among the many things I have accomplished with these transfers, there's one achievement I am particularly proud of – building a house for my son. Previously, he was living with his uncle, which was far from an ideal situation as I always worried about how the uncle might feel about it. Now, with the new house in place, my son has not only found a comfortable and secure shelter but also a peaceful environment to focus on his studies.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In the coming years, I have a plan to initiate a grocery business right here in our community. This decision comes from a place of wanting to be actively involved and contribute to our household income. My spouse has been facing challenges with irregular job opportunities, making it difficult to provide for us consistently. As a stay-at-home mom, I have decided to take this step and create an additional income source.
I am confident that by running this grocery business, I can earn a modest income. This income will play a crucial role in supporting our family's food expenses. Taking on this venture would not only be personally fulfilling but would also bring a sense of pride in my ability to contribute to our household's well-being.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($444 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt so much happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. I had gone to a nearby market to buy some personal stuff and when I heard my phone ring and checked, I was met with a pleasant surprise. It was a message confirming that I had received money from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with joy and happiness. I later went home and shared the good news with family where we got to plan ourselves.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used almost the entire amount to buy food and clothing's fir our children. We used another $100 to buy food and clothes for our family and the amount that remained was used to buy building materials. My husband works in the construction industry and we did not have enough money to do the things that we were able to do.
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 am now happier than I have ever been before. We have been able to build a house for our child and we feel happy that he now has a house of his own. He can get enough time for personal studies and we feel so much happy about this. We are family or three
Enrolled
access_time almost 2 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We face a myriad of challenges in our daily lives. The cost of living has gone up and this has further made life very difficult. The cost of food has tripled for instance we use to purchase a packet of 2 Kg packet of maize at $0.8 but at the moment it goes for $2.30, also raising school fees for our children is an uphill task. Lack of money to meet these demands is what is giving us alot of stress . Recently,our daughter was send home for school fees and it was difficult raising the fees for her, we are yet to clear her school fees for this term, coming to think of it is so stressful.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The peaceful election that was done recently in Kenya gave us joy and a renewed hope. Every other election in Kenya is marred by skirmishes but the last one was very peaceful. Everything went on smoothly and the normalcy continued. We are also full of optimism that life will be better as the new government is putting in place the interventions to lessen the cost of living.
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I have a small business of selling cereals that includes maize and beans but capital has been hindering the expansion of it.I only have a stock of 90 Kg of maize which is hardly enough to run the business,I can only sell for 2 days then go for the another stock which is costly and tiring. It is a good business if only capital is available.It is against this backdrop that I intend to use USD 500 to buy the maize stock of atleast 20 bags of 90Kg maize for sale.I was so happy when I heard about this transfers, I am now certain that my business will succeed and that I will get higher returns that will enable us afford a better lifestyle.
