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 ($528 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life has greatly changed and it is currently different after receiving my transfers since I have built a decent spacious house. I now live in a decent iron-roofed house which has boosted my self-esteem in society and given better comfort. This is a dream that I could not have fulfilled at my own cost. I feel it dawned at an older age. I had for long wished to live in a decent house but my overwhelming family needs never gave me a chance to build one. I had struggled to provide for my family which I could manage to meet with my small business profits and selling of farm produce. My house got older and older thus started cracking and weak a situation that was becoming uncomfortable for me. With my age, I lost hope of building a decent house but I thank GiveDirectly since they made it possible for me.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly has done well in uplifting our lives which were miserable before enrollment. We have been able to provide for our families effectively, purchasing livestock as assets and most importantly, building better iron-roofed houses thus enjoying good shelter. I do not see anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
My children's education has always been my priority among the family needs thus I do anything possible to ensure that I pay their school fees on time. When I received my first transfer, I used KES20000 in paying school fees for my children. First, I had wished for long to build a spacious and decent house but I had never had a chance due to the scarce resources we had. I took KES30000 of my second transfer to buy few remaining materials I wanted and to facilitated the construction of a new house in my family. I currently have a decent house courtesy of GiveDirectly and this is my happiness. I spent the remaining amount of my transfer on household daily basic needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($536 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the realization that my home also going to become beautiful just as I have always wanted! I expect to have a nice home by building a spacious timber walled house to replace the old untidy and small mud-walled hut that I have lived in for a very long time. My joy is greater knowing that this will make my children happy to live in a decent house like that of our neighbors. The construction will begin in three days' time. I am so excited about it.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my first transfer was the best moment of my life. I was so happy that I had finally gotten money to get myself a nice house. I had a mud-walled house that I have lived in for a long time and all the while whining about the inconvenienced of having to smear it twice every week. This was tedious and indecent work. I was always praying that I get to build a timber walled house. I could stop smiling at myself knowing that I was finally going to be able to build it.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I am spending the first transfer on preparing timber as I get ready to build a house. As we speak now, I am coming back from the place where I found wood that I am using to make timber. I bought enough trees and am now working with someone with a power saw to ensure that I get high-quality timber. I already bought iron roofing sheets. All is set for groundbreaking on Thursday, this week. This is the day when the house construction will begin. This is a big leap towards reaching my dream of improving my home.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means boosting my posho mill business. I am currently running out of cereals stock in my shop since i used all the money from the sales to clear fee arrears for my two sons in secondary school, something that has inconvenienced my clients who usually prefer to purchase maize from my shop and mill them all together. I will then improve my shop by demolishing the one that is made of mud and build a new one using timber. The remaining part of my transfer will enable me to buy an heifer which will reproduce latter and i will be selling milk from it to supplement the income i get from my business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am always happy in the evening when the day has ended and especially when i got some good profit from my business, which is a motivating factor to work harder the following day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Supporting education for my children adequately has been the biggest hardship i face. I run a posho mill business which is not that stable due to shortage of cereals (maize)that i normally sell to my clients, thus my business earns me less compared to the needs of my family. My spouse on the other hand works in a tea plantation in a nearby county and his monthly wages of ksh 3500 all goes to buying food and other basic needs for the family. We have Three children studying in secondary school and one in the university and their education fee is too expensive something that has pushed us to sell our livestock and some piece of land to fully support their education.
