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 do not have any new goals for now that I can touch on apart from the ones that we shared earlier. I am proud to own mention that I was able to fulfill my dream of owning dairy cows. I am certain that soon I will start practicing dairy farming which I believe will do well in my region. Through that, I will be selling milk in large quantities and supplying them to the nearest dairy shops and earn a living. I am thankful to GiveDirectly for the empowerment.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly is an outstanding organization that changed our living standards. Initially, 90% of us could not access good shelter, some of our children had also dropped out of school. This was a result of the poverty life that we were encountering. I am happy that through the unconditional cash transfers, we have been able to meet our long time goals. Therefore, I do not see any part that GiveDirectly is not doing good.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 20000 of my second transfer on clearing bills for my son who had been bitten by a dog. He was actually in deep pain and I did not have any idea of where I would acquire the required money for proper medication. I am thankful that he is doing much better, after seeking better services. Also, I spent KES 10000 to pay college fees for my son who is in his second year. With the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuff a line of foodstuffs for my six children, and other household items like clothing, utensils, and furniture.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($492 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 8.30am when I reached home extremely tired. As usual, very early in every morning I leave home for the bush to prepare logs and make some charcoals. That is the kind of business that has been sustaining me though in a hard way.
Before resting, I was informed that some family members have received their first transfers from GiveDirectly and clearly by their faces excitement was vivid from a distance. Nervously, I went in my house to check on my phone. What a blessed morning! My heart was filled with joy and peace after seeing the message if the transfer in my phone too.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest change we are seeing as a family is how healthy we are now. We no longer have difficulties in getting some meals as before when we used to sleep hungry in some days. My children are beautiful to look at now. The second mark that has changed my life is achieving my desire of owning cows in my home. It is a dream that was brought through by GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My life desire was to keep cows in my home. The main reason is that cows though they take time in multiplying but are more beneficial and have more value than goats. I was tired of admiring milk tea from neighbors. I bought 3 cows for KES 34000.00. I also paid KES 8000.00 school fees for my children. Since the water points are far away, one uses almost 2 hours to and from fetching some water and that is just a single bucket of 20 liters. Putting that into consideration I opted to repair a bicycle which had broken down to aid us in fetching the water. The little amount that remained is sustaining the family in buying some food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means proper education for my daughter and at the same time revive my firewood selling business. My daughter completed secondary school in 2019 and performed well. However, due to financial constraints in my household, I have been unable to take my daughter to college or any other institution of higher learning. I am planning to use KES. 50,000 to support in paying my daughters college fees. I will use a further KES. 15,000 to revive my firewood selling business. I have been engaging myself in selling firewood for a decade now but the harsh economic conditions brought about by the Covid 19 pandemic really affected my business and I had to close. With the KES. 15,000, I am assured of making a monthly profit of KES. 13,000 which is a great profit in as far as businesses in the rural setting is concerned. I will use the balance from the GiveDirectly transfers to buy food for my family. Doing all this will make me a happy woman and accord me the reputation I have always desired to get from my village people.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning is the happiest part of my day. Greeting my neighbors in the morning makes me happy. Moreover, after the collapse of my business, life really changed and almost got into depression. Therefore, waking up in the morning healthy makes me happy unlike in the afternoon and evening where I engage in the energy draining charcoal burning occupation.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The collapse and closure of my firewood selling business due to the harsh economic impediments brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest hardship I have faced in my life. Things fell apart and I had to revert to charcoal burning, an energy draining occupation which has really affected my health such that I always fall ill. Moreover, the profits I used to make while selling firewood are nowhere to be seen and I only survive on charcoal burning. For me, burning charcoal is shameful given the financial status I had acquired during my firewood selling days. Imagine, I have even been unable to take my daughter to college even after encouraging her to study hard something she did and performed extremely well.
