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 ($468 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Buying a heifer is the new goal that I didn't had before receiving the transfer. I had other priorities like building a better house for my family. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I decided to purchase a heifer. I know I will be able to get enough milk when it reproduce in the next few months. I will cut the daily cost of buying milk.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
It does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better house and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30,000 to purchase a heifer. I always buy milk daily and this is so costly. I will be able to get enough milk when my cow reproduce in the next few months. I will cut the daily cost and save the money that I could have used to buy milk for other basic household items. I had bought some iron sheets using the first transfer. I used the second transfer to buy other building materials and build a better and spacious house for my family. The rest of the money I used it for food and clothes for the children. I'm so happy because GiveDirectly fulfilled their promise and improved our living standards.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Together with my children, we were so happy when I received a message with the good news of the highly anticipated support. Everyone was joyful and we thanked God that morning for the blessing that made our morning brighter. At the moment I received the message, my husband was already out to his usual moto-taxi business. As we were still celebrating, I received a call from him curious about our receipt as he was seeing everyone heading to the nearby town to withdraw their transfer. On informing him that we also had, he told me to take good care of the amount as we already had plans and we had no hurry in withdrawing it the same day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the clearance of school fees for my two daughters. It has been a struggle raising enough school fees for them and on several occasions, they had been sent home by their teachers hoping that they will get some money and go back to school the same day but it always takes weeks before we find them enough. Seeing them study peacefully in school without any interruption at the moment is a good feeling not only to me, but also to them.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The grass-thatched kitchen I had been using for the past five years had started letting water in from the old roof whenever it rains, the repair I had been trying had been so expensive since sourcing the appropriate grass to use had been so hard. I have hoped to construct a new one but the insufficient finances could not allow it since all the materials including iron sheets are so expensive to obtain at once. I was happy and thanked God when I received the first transfer as the construction became our priority to aid the complete demolition of the old kitchen and putting up a new one. I managed to purchase 18 iron sheets, timber, and building poles at KES26500 that are currently useful in the construction work. I also cleared school fees for my two daughters currently in secondary school who still needed KES10000 each to the end of the term. Out of the remaining amount, I spent KES 3500 on obtaining foodstuff since we exhausted the previous harvest in August and had been buying in bits since then. I spent the remaining KES 4000 on buying clothing for my three children, and also mine.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We have been struggling to raise school gets for my two children who are currently in grade 10. My husband gains some income, about 3 USD daily, by offering motorcycle services within our vicinity. Since the income is inadequate to suffice all our needs and raise the school fees, receiving GiveDirectly transfers will act as an assurance that our children shall have ample study time. This is because we shall pay all the required amounts. Even so, we shall utilize any remaining amount on building a better kitchen because the one we have has a leaking roof.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a housewife and a subsistence farmer, my day is packed with lots of activities ranging from household chores to farming tasks. Hence, the happiest part of my day is in the evening when I am taking some rest to regain the energy that would be utilized the next day. I always feel like a responsible mother and wife by always doing my roles well.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
As a family, the biggest hardship we have faced is the frequent absence of our children from school due to lack of fees. This makes me and my husband feel that we are failing since we are obliged to offer them the best education. The little income of about 3USD daily that my husband attains from his motorcycle business is insufficient to sustain our family and pay school fees. In that regard, we feel that our children may not perform well after missing some important lessons.
