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 ($516 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I changed my life because I was able to buy enough livestock such as goats and cows which I now have courtsey of the cash transfers from Give Directly. I also paid school fees for my kids who now have zero arrears at school.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, I think that the organization has transformed peoples lives in many ways because there were those who built houses while others bought livestock.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the cash on buying two cows which were sold to me at a cost of Kes 32000. I want to do dairy farming for the purposes of getting enough supply of milk going into the future so that I can stop buying milk from local vendors.
I also paid school fees for the kids who had arrears of approximately Kes 11000. Being that we could not spend everything and not consume any amount, I had to spare some money to buy food for the family. Right now I still have some savings that amount to around Kes 10000.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($543 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now have goats which have started reproducing and I believe they will increase in number very soon. This is a sign of getting wealthy as it is one of the investment whose value increases daily. For this reason I will exchange them for a pair of oxen which will help me in ploughing my farm. Previously I used to hire from my neighbors which was very expensive. But I thank God I will be having my own very soon and I believe this increase my farm production when I do quality farm preparation. I will also hire them to people hence earning some income to cater for my basic needs.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around around 2 am when I saw the message notification on my phone. When I checked its content, it was from GiveDirectly indicating that they had debited my first transfer into my account as they had promised. I was so glad
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer to buy a 11 goats. I decided to buy goats because they usually require little attention to keep and they mature very fast. With time am planning to exchange their off springs for a pair of oxen. I will use the oxen for ploughing my farm and even hire out to others at a cost to earn me extra income. The remaining amount of money I bought 10 iron sheets which I will use to renovate my house which was in a poor condition.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I live in a very small house that cannot accommodate my 5 children and I. This has forced two of them to seek shelter in my neighbour's house something which embarrasses me. Besides, I am also worried about their security every night since I am not available to monitor their movements. This situation has really pushed me to construct a bigger house but I do not have the capacity to do so. Therefore, I will use this transfer to fulfill my ambition of providing better shelter for my family. I will also purchase livestock and start a small business that will solve my financial problems and respond to basic needs like school fees, food and medical care.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My life is full of stress when I think of how my family is suffering because of poverty. This worsens during the day when I am out in the bushes engaging in my casual jobs. However, in the evening when I am back home I interact with my children and I tend to forget my worries. This is because they are very playful and they make a lot of jokes.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband supports the family with only 1000 shillings a month, an amount that is supposed to sustain all our needs. Since this is not sufficient, I supplement it through harvesting aloevera which earns me around 800 shillings in two months. It hurts me to see my children going without food especially during dry seasons. I cannot even pay their school fees on time and most of the times they are sent home and it really affects their performance.
