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 ($490 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?
The difference is that I earn very little from my farm, the crops are not doing well in our area lately because of the harsh weather conditions, I have been struggling in paying for the school fees of my children. I was so relieved when I received my transfer because it catered for my school fees needs. I am so grateful for the support that came at the right time of need.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does a good job, they follow up on their recipient just to make sure that they received their transfers as promised, our village standard of living has gone up and we are all happy and grateful.GiveDirectly does it work professionally and I don't see anything we are not doing right.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a widow and a mother, when my husband passed on I had to take over all the household responsibilities, I depend on farming to earn an income, therefore, when I received my transfer I deposited KES 27,000 for school fees for my 3 children who are in a secondary school, thereafter gave my Son who is in the university his upkeep allowance of KES 7000, I then bought him a smartphone worth KES 11,000 because the one that he had was stolen.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($510 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The happiness we had in our household after receiving the transfer was overwhelming; it was the right time when we really needed to make a lot out of it. We had been watching the great work happening in the adjacent villages, and this has always been a great motivation not only to us but also to the whole village. This moment of receipt confirmation assured us that all we had in books will soon be accomplished.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since we received the first transfer in our household, a lot has really changed and we are always grateful to look back and see all that we have done with the money. It is still hard for me to imagine the fact that I will not be paying anything towards school fees this term since I managed to clear all that I owed the schools. It is a great time now to work hard and ensure that I work on other projects, try to generate more income which we will in turn add to our savings towards paying other bills ahead.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving the transfer, spending on foodstuff came as a priority. We had been struggling to make ends meet for quite sometimes and we saw the chance to stock enough foodstuff before engaging the remaining amount on other planned projects. Ensuring that I clear all the school fees for my hour children in their respective schools came second. It has also been so demanding to settle all the school debts with the firstborn currently in university while two others are in secondary school and one is currently in a private primary school. I am glad that I cleared all the remaining areas for the whole year. With the remaining amount, I used part of it in Improving livestock farming and also in ensuring that every member of the household gets a new pair of clothes. Having done all that, everyone felt good and we really thank God that we managed to split the budget and reserve the less urgent plans till we receive the second transfer.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean a lot to me. I am a widower and I have 4 children in school depending on me to pay their school fees. As a single parent all the responsibility lies on me. I depend on the harvest of French beans and hay grass which I sell to get an income and support the family, but that alone is not enough to provide all the basic needs for my children. The transfer will aid me in paying school fees for my 4 children in school as well as providing other basic needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I wake up early at 6 Am each morning, and the first activity is usually milking my cows .I thereafter engage in other household chores like cleaning before proceeding to my farm where I plant maize and French beans. The time I spend working on the farm be it planting,weeding or harvesting is usually the happiest part of my day.Why? It makes me extremely happy to engage in this activity because it is by doing this day in day out that I have been able to pull through several hurdles in terms of providing for my children's needs as well as ensuring that their school fees is always paid
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship in my life has been to provide basic needs for my family. I am a widower and responsible for taking care of my family. It is not easy sustaining the family with income that comes from my harvest alone. As a family we only depend on subsistence farming. I have four children in school and providing for their education is the biggest hardship. Paying fees for all of them is hard, especially because one is in his first year at the university,two in high school and one in primary school and all of them depend on me to pay their school fees.
