GiveDirectly: Send money directly to the extreme poor

2nd Payment

Transfer Amount

55000 KES ($436 USD)

1 year ago

How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?

Being a widow, I take on charcoal burning and splitting firewood to fend for my five children. I would be relieved if I had the ability to support their education, without having them sent out of class to collect school fees. To achieve this capacity, I wish to continue expanding my herd of goats by buying more, as this will put me in a better position to raise more funds in the future. Besides keeping livestock, I also plan to start a small vegetable-selling business to boost the little earnings I make from selling charcoal.

In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?

Courtesy of Give Directly’s cash transfers, my five children have a separate house, where they enjoy plenty of space and privacy. They have also never missed a day of school since I started receiving the cash transfers, something that fueled their improved academic performance last year. This is enough proof of how great the job of giving cash to vulnerable communities is. There is nothing that Give Directly could improve on, according to me.

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

I used the second transfer to build a house for my five children, who were still staying in my two-room house at the time. As children become older they usually need their own space for privacy, so I thought it ideal to build them a separate structure. I constructed a one-room house made of mud walls and a tin roof, which cost around $268. Also, there was an outstanding tuition for those who were in primary school and I cleared the debt with $30. I also paid $20 for them in advance, so that they would study without interruptions the following term. Am happy that they are no longer being sent out of school anymore to collect pending balances. Next, I bought 5 goats, using $185. The aim was to rear the goats, and have a source of income that would raise my children’s school fees in the future. The remaining amount went towards food because there was no food.

Initial Payment

Transfer Amount

55000 KES ($480 USD)

2 years ago

Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?

It was around 4 in the evening when I was preparing the evening meal when I saw a message notification on my phone. Without wasting time, I requested my helper to confirm who it could be. On checking, she realized it was an Mpesa from GiveDirectly. I was so happy because they had finally honored their promise to me. I decided to share the news with the rest of the family members and they couldn't find their joy as well.

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.

The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now have assets (goats) that I can readily depend on in case of any emergency. I settled for the goats because they require minimal supervision and their pastures are readily available. Before then, I did not have any of these, and life has been so tough. Being a widow of five children who are all in school has never been easy at all. I have been depending on the charcoal business which was a seasonal one. I am now hopeful that once they reproduce and increase in number, I will be in a better position of selling one or two investing the money in some other projects, and paying fees for my children. I will also be able to provide for the household needs without struggling.

What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?

I spent part of my first transfer on buying livestock more than ten goats at a total of KES 40000. This has been a wish to at least have one, but because of my poor status, this was not achievable. In addition to that, I cleared fees of KES 3000 for my three kids who are in primary schools. They have been on and off and this was because of the arrears that had accumulated for the three semesters. Later on, I bought iron sheets and a few building poles at KES 5000. These were for the construction of a special house whereby I will be keeping the goats. With the remaining amount of money, I have been buying foodstuffs for my family and other household items.

Enrolled

over 2 years ago

What does receiving this money mean to you?

I am a widow with five children under my care. My late husband died 10 years ago and I have been struggling to make my ends meet with my children. I have been doing charcoal burning business, done local poultry farming and practicing domestic agriculture - growing cassava, beans and maize. Life has not been easy on my side but through struggling and assistance from the county authorities, I have reached where I am now . My children have passed through many difficulties and the first 2 male who are above 18 years dropped school while in their primary level only to assist me putting food on the table every day . I have been thinking of practicing domestic farming of keeping local goats and cows but getting capital was the hindrance on fulfilling this idea. Receiving this money means I will buy 4 she goats to keep, 2oxen to plough my land and also buy 2 local cows which will multiply in number so that they can act as a family saving.

What is the happiest part of your day?

I received a relief food from the county government of 5 packets maize flour and 5 kilograms of beans . I used the flour during the new year celebration. I slaughtered a chicken to celebrate with my family and kept the beans.It brought joy and happinenes to my family because I celebrated the new year together with all my children.

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

Food insecurity is the biggest challenge in my house. My first 2 sons dropped from school to look for casual employment to assist me feeding the family. My body is exhausted from the straneous jobs. My young children have no school uniforms and paying for their school fees also is a great challenge.I am living passing difficulties in my life.