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 ($489 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?
I am a casual labourer on a farm nearby, I spend most of my time at my workplace, though what I earn is not enough for me to build a house for my family because we depend on it on our daily needs. The difference is that, before, I was living in a small grass-thatched house but now I have a decent house that I didn't know that one day I will own such a beautiful and spacious house, Secondly, before I could spend KES 40 a day to buy milk for our daily use, I bought a dairy cow and hopeful in future I will have adequate milk. I am grateful for the support.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, everything is done openly, they also take time to educate their audience first before the registration, making everything move smoothly, I still can't find anything that is not done perfectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have always had a vision of building a new house for my family, Unfortunately, I could not afford it because it needed a good amount of money which I didn't have because of financial constraints and lack of a reliable source of income. Secondly, I was spending a lot of money buying milk daily, Therefore when I received my transfer I bought a dairy cow to enable me to cut down on the cost of milk, I then build a decent house for my family, indeed it's a dream come true
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($515 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I live on my daily wage and to have food, I have to sougth some work at a nearby farm. At the moment when I got my transfers, I was already at work and I was so happy that I had received such a huge amount at once. I couldn't wait for the day to end so that I can withdrew the money. I had to take a off day the following day so that I would withdrew the money and plan for it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My biggest difference in my daily life is that I now have a lactating dairy cow which gives us milk. I would still be buying milk were it not for GiveDirectly.
I couldn't afford to buy a cow on my own as my wage is too little to save. I usually spend it on buying foodstuffs and paying school fees for my children.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before, I used to have one cow but when I got an injury a while ago, I sold the cow and spent the money on my medication. Since then we would buy milk for use at home and this was too expensive for us. When I got my transfers from GiveDirectly, I spent KES 45000 in buying a lactating dairy cow. I needed to bring to an end the cost of buying milk. I then spent KES 3500 on buying a sheep so that I would rear to have offsprings which in times of need I would sell them in times of emergency. The remaining amount, I spent KES 2800 on buying a sack of maize and the rest on buying clothes.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I shall afford to purchase some cows. I have been struggling in vain to buy cattle because I am a single mother with no significant source of income. Since cattle are invaluable livestock in our area (they signify wealth and prestige), I will gain significant respect from my neighbors upon acquiring some. Also, I will lead a better life knowing that I have some resources that my family shall depend on in the future to earn a living.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a casual laborer, the happiest part of my day is in the evening when I am returning home with some income. This means that I shall afford to buy some food and other basic needs for my family since I am the sole breadwinner.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is the poor remuneration that I usually attain from our local employer. As a casual laborer who relies mainly on locally available jobs due to the relatively low levels of skills and knowledge I have, the poor payment that I usually attain could hardly suffice my basic needs. Hence, I have neve managed to save any money that would otherwise be used on developmental projects.
