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?
My life is different than how it would have been because through financial support I was able to construct a very decent house for my dear children. Before then they used to sleep at their friends' house which I wasn't happy with the situation because they used to live very far from the village. All is well now because we now live happily as a family without much worry. Aso the dairy cows and goats will be of great help especially in their education. With the money I have acquired from the sale of milk, I will save every coin and pay school fees for them.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well since it has been of great help to my village making transforming our lives positively. This is clearly seen especially on the houses we own now, they are all iron-roofed, unlike the previous ones which were grass thatched and mud-walled. Their condition was for sure not pleasing but for now, everything has changed. Also, I do not see any part that GD failed us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying building materials such as timber, building poles, iron sheets, nails, and threads. This was for the construction of a new house for my children. I also paid school fees for my children at KES 10000 who are primary and secondary respectively. With the remaining amount, I bought enough food for my family that could sustain us for at least two weeks.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was at exactly 9 am when I decided to switch on my phone then the Mpesa message from GiveDirectly popped. I was surprised and happy at the same time since I knew the money will transform my life greatly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life ever since GiveDirectly came into my life is that I now own a few goats. I am optimistic that they will make me wealthier within a short period of time considering their gestation period is normally short and the high market demand in my region. I also believe that the goats will be of great aid especially in paying school fees for my children. In the near future, I will no longer struggle as I used to do as well as meeting my family's other household basic needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying four goats. These shall be the living assets that will come in handy when an emergency arises. I settled to buy goats because I have the necessary skills to rear them. I addition to that, I bought several building poles, a few pieced of iron sheets, timber, and nails. I purchased l these with an intention of constructing a new house. Also, I spent a smaller portion of the transfers on clearing a hospital bill because some years I was involved in an accident and I normally attend some checkups as a result of that. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have a plan of building one extra house for my children when I receive this money. This will accommodate my children better because I have only two small rooms accommodating my 8 children together with me and my spouse. This will cost me approximately 200 USD. I will then use 750 USD to add more livestock to the small herd I have. I will buy 15 goats and 3 oxen.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Seeing the day off safely and with good health always brings joy to me. The jobs I do sometimes are very risky. Riding motorcycles and sometimes working in the bushes always poses a risk to my health. Evening is therefore the happiest part of my day when I get home well.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having a stable source of income has been my biggest hardship. I have tried several means but all have not worked out. The recent one is when I took a loan last year(2019) to buy a motor cycle taxi. I suffered a bad accident that forced me to be admitted for three weeks. I broke my leg and I have been on crutches for 11 months. I have not been able to start working normally. I am still limping. I was unable to service the loan and my motorcycle taxi was taken away from me by the lending institution. This has been a major set back financially.
