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 ($517 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 is currently different because of the livestock that I bought with the transfers. I am currently a dairy farmer as I sell about 5 liters of milk and use about 3 liters for household consumption. I have stopped buying milk which means that my household daily expenditure has significantly reduced. I am easily able to provide for my family using both the income from selling milk and also by having some to consume without having to spend a penny.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly changed the lives of everyone in my village because each was able to prioritize their most pressing needs. Receiving this money as cash made things very easy for us to save our selves from the problems we were facing.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the money I received on buying a dairy cow. I needed to add to the number of cows that I keep for milk production. This way I will have a source of income. I also bought another heifer that will grow to maturity within a year. I am going to secure my children's future by having this livestock that I can sell a use it for school fees or any other use to meet our needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($545 USD)
access_time almost 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 own a cow. I previously kept a friend's cow to help me with the daily needs from the sale of milk. This comes with some challenges as the owner would sometimes think that you are not taking good care of his cow as to his expectations. As much as the cow helped me, I did not have the joy I needed because all its offsprings will be taken to the original owner of the cow. I am glad that I now have my own and I get the deserved joy. I also have some beautiful chairs in my home courtesy of Givedirectly. This was not the case previously as there was no chairs to sit on and whenever I had visitors, I had to borrow from my village mates.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was just preparing my children to go to school as usual when I received a message with the good news that GiveDirectly had sent money to my M-Pesa account. I got so happy and gave thanks to God for the blessings through GiveDirectly!
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I bought a cow for rearing using part of the transfer received. We mostly depend on the sale of milk from our cows for most of our needs such as school fees. This necessitated the need for an additional cow in addition to the two that I previously had. I also bought some furniture(chairs) for our home. I had no chairs in my new house since I did not have any extra money to buy. I used the rest of the transfer to buy food and clothes for my children.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Initiating a cereals business @$400 and buying a dairy cow for milking @ $350 is what receiving this money means to me. Owning a cereals business means self financial independence to me as a housewife who depends on my spouse who has another family of 7 for upkeep. The milk i will sell from my cow (approximately 5litres daily @ ksh 30 per litre) will enable me to build up savings in a local savings group, meaning i will be able to easily pay school fees for my four children in primary school come next year.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Keeping myself busy doing household chores eg washing clothes and utensils, then going to the farm to weed my vegetables in the morning is what makes me happy now that this is the daily routine i enjoy doing most.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Self financial independence has always been my wish since i was married 10 years ago. I am a housewife and my spouse who has another family of seven is the one i rely on to provide for my four children and I. This is the biggest hardship i face since sometimes my children are sent home for school fees and they could stay for even one month at home while other people's children attend school. I always feel like i have failed them but i thank GD for visiting my village. My worries will soon come to an end
