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 ($464 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have three children and my daughter will be joining secondary school next year. She is a bright student and I am optimistic that she will pass well and join a high-performing school. Since I am through with the project of expanding our current house, I do not have any new goal since I am planning to start saving money that I will use in paying her school fees. This is because I do not want an instance where she will be sent out of school or even go to a day school where children rarely concentrate on their studies.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well in their operations and I do not see anything that they did not do well. First, their officers spoke well and related with us like people with whom we are of the same family. In addition, they called us to know how we spent the transfer and this showed that they not only gave us the financial aid but they are also concerned with our welfare.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my recent transfer, I spent all amount to expand my house by building two extra rooms. I bought some nails, 20 pieces of iron sheets, windows, doors and paid the full cost of extending the two rooms. I settled on this since the house that we had was two-room only and our children used to sleep in the kitchen. Currently, my children have a separate room, and we also have another for visitors in case people visit us and are planning to spend some days with us. I am glad that I can now channel the money that I will be getting from farming to meet our basic needs and to pay school fees for my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($486 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 10 am. When I heard my neighbors celebrating that they have received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I had not receive the money at that time. Immediately I went to the river to collect water. When I was from the river I heard a ringtone message from my phone. I stopped to check it out. It was a message from GiveDirectly indicating that I have received money. I felt so happy because I have never received such amount of money before. When I inform my family members they all celebrated with lots of joy. I knew I would be able to buy building materials and build a better house. We live in a small house which could not host all my family members comfortably. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards.
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 have purchased building materials. I have timber ready to build a better house. I depend on casual jobs and small scale farming at home. The harvest is so small and it's only for consumption. I didn't had an extra income to purchase the building materials and build a better house. We live in a small house which cannot host all my family members comfortably. Currently I have all the materials ready and I am waiting for the second transfer to start the construction process. This will boost my confidence and self esteem. I will not shy off to welcome friends to my house. My children will get enough space to sleep and do their homework without being disturbed. Whenever I have visitors they will have a spacious rooms to sleep. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfilled my dream.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30,000 to purchase timber for building a better house for my family. This was my main target because we live in a small house which cannot host all my family members comfortably. I purchased two goats. This is the best investment because goats reproduce faster and helps during an emergency. I bought one sack of maize and clothes for my children. The rest of the money I spent on other household items. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
First, I thank God for answering my prayers. Since getting married, I have been yearning to have a decent semi-permanent house that is easier to maintain. Precisely, it has been relatively costly for me to maintain our mud-walled and mud-floored house; it consumes time, energy, and soil (we usually buy soil at KES 30 per kilogram). So, receiving this money means we shall afford to improve our house. We will use all the transfers (over KES 100000) on purchasing all the necessary resources, including timber and cement, and paying for labor.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being a housewife and a farmer is an energy-draining occupation. This is because my day is packed with lots of activities including household chores as varied farming tasks. As such, I usually wake up at dawn to prepare my children for school before embarking on household chores. From mid-morning to late afternoon, I would be attending to my livestock or working on my farm. Hence, the happiest part of my day is in the evening when I am taking some rest in readiness for the next day's responsibilities.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
As a family that relies primarily on subsistence farming, tropical diseases, and unfavorable climatic conditions act as the biggest hurdles we have been facing. Specifically, the infamous maize lethal necrosis and extended droughts have resulted in a dramatic decline (over 75%) in the yields that we obtain from our farms. As such, we have been struggling to survive by practicing subsistence farming since we have no alternative. In that regard, we have never managed to make any savings because we have no surplus produce for sale. So, most of our developmental projetcts, such as improvement of our house, have stalled.
