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 ($463 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
God willing, I am planning to build an Iron roofed house for my kids. This is because my kids are growing older and need their own space.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well to give us a lump sum amount. This is because ever since I received my first transfer I have had enough food and there is no more hunger in my house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After the death of my only dairy cow last year November, feeding my family has been a struggle. This is because I could only afford to buy a liter a day at KES 45 which was only sufficient for breakfast alone.
Recently, when GiveDirectly transfers arrived I saw this as an opportune time to buy a dairy cow. Therefore, I spent KES 38,000 on the purchase of a dairy cow. This is now a major source of milk for my family and I am grateful.
Secondly, KES 10,000 was used on clearance of school fees arrears for my daughters in high school. This is because as a mother of 7, I have been relying on small-scale agribusiness farming to pay school fees for my kids. I normally specialize in farming and sale of onions, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and sukuma wiki. This has helped me for a long time because my three elder kids have already cleared school and are now independent.
Lastly, I spent KES 4,000 on the latest clothing fashion for my kids. This is because my kids didn't have decent clothes for special occasions.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9am while weeding my onions when I received an SMS alert on my phone. Upon checking it I couldn't believe my eyes because I had received the eagerly awaited KES55000 from GiveDirectly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is payment of school fees for my kids and availability adequate food for my family. Initially, I relied on casual labor in order to feed my family and at the same time fetch irrigation water from a far away dam. This was quite tough on me but with GiveDirectly I am grateful because I am relieved of casual labor and my kids have grown healthier and happier.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 20,000 of my transfers on payment of school fees for my two daughters in high school. This is because they were being sent home frequently due to lack of school fees and were almost giving up on school. Initially, in order to pay school fees we normally rely on tomato, onions, and vegetable farming.I also spent KES 5400 on three sofasets because I only had four local armchairs which forced visitors to sometimes stand because I didn't have enough chairs. I also spent KES 5600 on two maize sacks and also KES 600 bought a panga and jembes.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been solely relying on casual work to earn a living but I desire to be self-reliant, though this has remained to be a fanciful hope. I am always away in the city looking for casual jobs and during this time my family of seven remain by themselves in the village. This always presents parenting challenges because I can't mentor my children together with my partner. When I also fail to secure a casual job they go hungry and this affects my children's performance in school. This is now indeed a moment to rejoice and be thankful for GiveDirectly's enrollment in this noble program. My journey to own a kiosk has just begun. I will spend KES.60000 to buy the stock and with this, I will be able to make a profit of KES. 18000 every two months. There will be no more school fees payment challenges nor food challenges.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was diagnosed with acute tuberculosis at the beginning of the year and the doctors put me on very strong medication which was supposed to last for 4 months since my life was at risk. I had even lost hope of ever recovering again because I was so weak. To my surprise it took only one month and my health was restored. This brought me so much joy because I was able to resume my normal life sooner than I expected.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have been in the city fending for my family and I make an average of KES. 350 daily which is too little to meet all my family's needs. We prioritize food with the little income we get at the expense of paying school fees. My children lag behind a lot in their studies because they are sent home almost weekly because of arrears. This is the greatest challenge that I am currently facing.
