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
55000 KES ($420 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
For the time being, I am determined to see my business structure compete. I want to move my shop from the rental room to the structure I am building within the next two months. This will save me $20 per month on rent.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has miraculously changed people's lives. People have bought livestock, and water tanks for water storage, paid school fees, and build new houses. Your method of disbursing this money was well-organized, and you made certain that we received the funds directly from you. I am content with how you handled everything hence I see no area for improvement.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was running a shop at the trading center before getting the second transfer. Because I had rented the business house for $20 per month, I considered it to be expensive due to the poverty that afflicted our community. When I received the second transfer, I chose to set up a business structure at home in order to transfer the business to the new structure. Despite the fact that the structure is still being built, the contractor has quoted me $350. When it's finished, I will use the remaining funds to buy more stock to ensure that my shop has almost everything that potential customers need on a daily basis.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($442 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I recall that I had just arrived home from the clinic where I had taken my child for a routine checkup when I first received my transfer. I can still picture myself looking at my phone to see if I had a missed call or an unread message. I was shocked to see a Mpesa text indicating that GiveDirectly had sent me money. Words cannot express the excitement I had. I anticipated a remarkable transformation in my life. I then told my spouse, who was appreciative and thrilled at the same time. Then we started thinking about how we would use our transfers.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My ability to finish my house, which had been on hold for a while, has made the biggest difference in my day-to-day activities. I can't believe how quickly I was able to realize my dream. Though I had predicted it would take more time, I am thrilled with how much my standard of life has improved thanks to GiveDirectly's assistance.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband and I had begun construction on a house in the village, but sadly, it was abandoned because of a lack of funds. Everything in our pockets was used up. My husband works side jobs, while I own a business. We are blessed to have two kids. When we received our transfer, we regarded it as the ideal opportunity for us to finish the building. Therefore, I spent the entire $550 on the building. Because we never had a reliable source of money before, this was not feasible. I'm thankful for the support because it has significantly raised my standard of living.
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I have a family of four members. My husband is a casual laborer and I do a kiosk business. I sell maize flour and other cereals. In a month, I make a profit of $8 and this caters mostly to food and water. The business has gone down due to the drought and famine. People now buy things on credit making me lack even capital to add the stock. I will use $740 to buy a water tank worth 10,000 liters. I want to take advantage of the drought and start to sell clean water in the village. Once the tank is fully of water , I will sell to the community at $0.15 per 20lt plastic. I estimate make a profit of $10 once the project materializes. The market is good because no one else is doing such a business. I will also use $ 300 to add stock to my kiosk business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The county government of Kilifi brought relief food in our village on August 2022. I got 8kg of maize flour which lasts for one month. The family could take three meals in a day, unlike the other days. So the relief food brought happiness to me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Chamawa village has never received rain for the last three years. This has caused drought and famine. The community walks for almost 10km looking for water from the water pan. One plastic cost $.0.5 for the water pan. I use $3 every day for water expenses. I was family clothes once a month due to lack of water. This is an abnormal behavior but due to the water shorted I have adopted it.
