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 ($485 USD)
access_time 3 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 different than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have purchased a motorcycle. I used the motorcycle for taxi business. I have employed someone to ride it. I earns KES 300 per day. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has enabled me to own a asset which could have taken quite some time. I save KES 100 and spent KES 200 on the basic needs of my family. I have also created an employment .The ride also get some amount per day. I feel sad happy. I used to do casual jobs and earns KES 200. I could wake up very early in the morning and back home late hours. I had no time to bond with my children. I had no time to work on my farm. Currently I no longer do casual jobs, I have devoted much of my time on my farm and to bond with my children. I have started horticulture farming. I do plant potatoes and vegetables. I know I would get enough food for the family after the harvest. I have hope that I will continue to save some money to buy another motorcycle taxi. This will enable me earn KES 600 per day. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent all the second transfer on purchasing a motorcycle .I top up KES 7,000 with the precious transfer. I used the motorcycle for taxi business. I have employed someone to ride it. He brings me KES 300 per day. This has enabled me to start a saving culture. I spent KES 200 and save KES 100. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed my living standard. I no longer do casual jobs but rather devoted my time on my farm. I have enough time for my family unlike before. GiveDirectly has given me hope and peace of mind since I get all the basic needs of the family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($509 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
On receiving the transfer, I was really happy with the hope to add another cow to the herd. This has been so exciting and I am thankful to God for opening a way for us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the pride I have in the two cows in our field. after buying the second one, the hope of seeing a sustainable source of income has slowly been growing. Even though one of them is not producing milk yet, I am full of hope as it is currently expectant and could be calving down in the next two months.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The milk I had been getting from the cow I had on our farm was just enough to cover the household use. This has always pushed me to work extra hard in other people's farms doing casual labor even though the pay was so little. With the transfer I received, I decided to add another cow worth 30000KES with the hope that milk production will increase to a point of selling part as a source of income. I spent part of the remaining on paying school fees for my sons, buying clothing, and also managed to save 15000KES with a plan to add up to the second transfer and use in obtaining a second-hand motorcycle.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I solely depend on casual labour to fend for my family. Currently, my body is gradually weakening due to continuous toiling on people's farms while carrying out the hard casual tasks like tilling. I intend to purchase a 100CC motorbike at a cost of 100,00 shillings. To achieve this amount, I will hold onto the first transfer until I receive the second one so that I can combine and be in a position to purchase a brand new one. I will then hire someone to be using the motorbike as a taxi and in return I get an average of 400 shillings daily.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My usual day entails waking up very early in the morning, prepare breakfast + lunch for my two kids and carryout other household chores. I then head out to look for casual jobs on people's farms. My happiest part of the day is in the morning when I get one as this will give me a surety that I will get paid later in the evening. The payment will provide me with the means to purchase foodstuffs for my kids to take for supper.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a single mother of two, my kids depend on me to provide for everything. With no regular source of income, I have been relying on casual labour from other people's farms. The main casual jobs available are matters to do with land preparation, weeding, harvesting etc. These kind of tasks are energy intensive and it is taking a toil on me. Everyday I feel I am becoming more and more weak and my fear is I cannot sustain this for so long. This is the biggest hardship I have ever faced.
