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 ($435 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?
With the cows I already have, my plan is to rear them then sell them in the next one year to venture into chicken business with my partner because chicken business seems to be more reliable now than livestock due to recurring droughts.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Giving free and unconditional cash was very thoughtful because if we were supposed to pay back, I would be frustrated now since the motorbike I invested some of the money in was taken back and that was a loss for me, meaning that it could have been a debt to the organization and I would have been in distress trying to pay it back.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With my second transfer, I was able to pay a down payment of ksh 15000, for a motorbike that I was planning to use it for transport business, Unfortunately my son hit someone with it and it was taken back by the dealers, luckily enough, I had already bought cows with the first transfer so I added two more with the remaining money and also bought some animals feed.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($481 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
That evening, I had left my phone charging and went to a fence around my farm. It was around 5 pm when I returned home, and on checking my phone I confirmed to have received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was excited at the good news and withdrew the money the following day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is relief from financial burdens. This is because now with the transfers I have adequate food for my family. I also bought a heifer which will soon be an income source. This is because initially I had many needs but couldn't meet them.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been selling dairy bells for the past 21 years. From this, I make KES 1200 a day working two days a week only during open-air market days. This has helped to feed my family and school my kids over the years. This is because farming in our place is unreliable due to long dry spells.
So when I received my transfer I spent KES 28,000 on a heifer because it will soon reproduce and be a good milk source. This is because I had only one cow which would be unreliable during dry spells.
Secondly, I spent KES 6000 on clearance of school fees arrears for my son in high school. This has given me space to look for next term's school fees.
Thirdly, I spent KES 6600 on two bags of maize. This will help sustain my family for a long time.
Furthermore, I spent KES 4500 on beddings because my kid's beddings were worn out.
Lastly, I spent KES 4500 on a 410 liters water storage container that can store volumes of water, especially during rainy seasons. This is because our place is marked by long dry spells hence water scarcity.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be reducing my daily expenditure especially on food. Currently, we own one cow, we purchase milk for most of the year costing us KES 1680 a month. With a family of seven with small children, this milk is not even enough to sufficiently feed us. I am a casual laborer earning at most KES 150 a day which I share between school fees and food. I, therefore, plan to use KES 35,000 to purchase one cow, this will help feed my family and earn an income through the sale of milk. For the rest of the amount, I will purchase a point of an acre to help me do some farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My wife started a small business selling ropes two months ago. A week she got the highest sales of KES 5000, she used it to join a merry-go-round self-help group in the village. She used the money she got to pay school fees for our daughter which really made us happy as she can now shoulder our family's needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is financial constraints. I have five children all in school which is heavy on me to pay for their school fees as well as meet other needs including food and clothing. Being a casual laborer employed to sell clothes at an open-air market, the days that are getting to earn much(KES, 200 a day) is on market day, two days a week. I am the sole provider hence this weighs me down a lot .
