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 ($442 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have a new goal of buying one extra dairy cow. Dairy keeping is one of the main economic activities that we engage in here at my place and I am willing to go all out to make such investments. I know very well that they shall be very helpful to me in paying school fees for my children in future. How I plan to do this is by taking part in a savings plan through a merry go round that we have here at the village. Once I get the contributions, I will use the money to buy this dairy cow.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did very well by enrolling everyone within the village without any form of discrimination whatsoever. This gave each person an equal opportunity to benefit from the transfers from GiveDirectly and people reciprocated by making good use of the money. Different development programs were initiated culminating in general rise in living standards among residents. We will always be indebted to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used KES 42000 to buy livestock; goats and a dairy cow. The amount that remained after we spent on these was used to buy clothes ,food and other basic household needs and to pay school fees for our four children . We are so grateful to GiveDirectly for the support that we received and how it was of great assistance to us. Before receiving GiveDirectly transfers we did not own any livestock since the amount of money that we got from our various hustles was hardly enough to buy the family food. I rely entirely on subsistence farming while my husband works as a carpenter. Whatever little amount that we get is normally channelled towards payment of school fees for our children and to buy food.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($482 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was about 4 pm and was rearing my livestock on my farm when I received a message on my phone. I was excited that I would initiate the plans that I had.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The joy of owning a cow on my farm is the biggest difference in my daily life. This means the provision of milk for my family members. I am grateful Givedirectly made my dream come through.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receipt of my first transfer, I prioritized purchasing a heifer worth Kshs.27,000 which will start to produce milk in a few months. The cost of buying milk has strained us since we are dependent on manual jobs as our daily source of income. I also spent Kshs.20,000 in the building and extra room from the main house which we can host visitors when they pay a visit. With the remaining amount, we spent on buying foodstuff and clothes for all our five household members.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means quality education for my children. Currently, I have 3 children in secondary school. They are always sent home because of school fees. I have tried to do several fundraising in the village but I get so little that can not pay school fees. I plan to use KES 70,000 in clearing a debt and pay 2 years upfront for the 3 children. By doing so they will have enough time to concentrate in school and excel in their studies. For the remaining amount, I will buy a dairy cow that will help with milk production since I always depend on neighbors.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The last month we have experienced lots of rains in the area. With that have managed to cultivate a quarter acre of land and planted vegetables. The vegetables are doing well and I expect to get some income in mid-February from the hard work I have done. This makes me so proud of myself.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of clean water is the biggest challenge we currently have. I travel for long distances to get clean water for drinking in the household. I do around 5 kilometers a day searching for water and carrying it back home. In my Old age, this is the worst thing to do because am not strong enough to carry water daily. We are forced sometimes to use dirty water which is not safe for our health.
