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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($436 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?
In the near future, I hope to accomplish my goal which is to own a pair of oxen. The bulls will be of great help to me, especially for my farming activities. It will be a relief to me since I will no longer be using my hands in tilling the farm like I used to do. Also, I am confident that I will acquire sufficient harvests since I will be in a position to utilize the whole farm.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, the organisation has been doing a great job in my entire village. First, the idea of giving out unconditional cash transfers stood out. It was so unique even in its mode of operation. I must say this is the best organisation I have ever come across. I do not see anything that has to be changed.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent almost $150 of my second transfer on purchasing more building materials so that I could finish putting up my house. I aimed to build a new one because the current one could leak terribly beside it being very small. There was no space to store some of my properties and I had to keep them under a very risky tree. As a result, I used to experience loss and damage, especially during the rainy seasons. To add to that, I bought three goats for a total of $150. I settled for them because they can thrive so well in my region also they reproduce very fast as compared to the other domestic animals. I went ahead and bought new bedding. For years, I have been sleeping on old mats with lots of discomforts every evening. I am happy that this has finally come to an end. Additionally, I had to buy a solar panel which cost $80. I will no longer struggle like before especially at night since most of the time I have been staying in the dark. Also, I paid fees for my granddaughter in secondary school so that she could sit for her end-of-year exam. With the remaining amount of money, I bought food and other household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
While still in bed at around 7 am, I was woken up by a message tone that popped into my phone which was at a high volume. Since it rang twice, I was curious to know what kind of a message it was, thus went to my daughter-in-law who is also my helper to check what the message was all about. What a blessed day it was! The confirmation was that I had received the first transfer of KES 55000.00 for GiveDirectly. Up-to-date, I am still happy with the money which I received because it changed my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Initially, my life was not good. Living not only in a leaking but also an unsecured house was something that did not give me peace of mind. I am thankful to the organization for choosing me as one of the beneficiaries of this project. Through GiveDirectly, I managed to construct a stable and good-looking house that will serve me well for a long time. All aside, the house is my big testimony and a huge difference because it gave my home a new look.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon withdrawing the money, I bought 25 pieces of iron sheets for KES 22500.00, and poles and rafters for KES 5500.00. The aim of buying these building materials was to build a house which I did. The house that I had was not in good condition. The roof which was covered with grass was leaking profusely making the wall weaker hence the house was on the verge of collapsing. Thereafter, I bought a bed for KES 6000.00. For the time being, I decided not to buy a mattress but instead to use the remaining amount to pay some bills which I had as well as buy food for my family to ensure they have enough stock. For the mattress, it will be the first item to purchase if I get the second transfer.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been staying in this old house made out of grass, for over 30 years now. I live here with my husband, my sister in law who is very old, and also my grandchild.
I can say that it's a very difficult life, because the house doesn't have doors or windows and there's no air circulation, so it posses a threat of insecurity and because of lack of oxygen we are a risk of COVID-19 infections.
Living with my in-law is also not cormfotable and deprives me my privacy, so most of the time has husband prefers to sleep outside which is not okay.
My dream is to use the first transfer of 55000 KSH to build a double room which will host my sister in law, grandchild and other visitors, this will attract a total cost of 35000 KSH and the remaining balance of 15000 KSH I plan to buy 3 mattresses at 5000 KSH each.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was living a lonely life, but when my sister in law who is widowed visited, it brought so much joy to us, at least we sit down in the evenings to chat of our old memories, we shared as girls back then.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Because of drought in the area, it's very difficult to get clean water and we are forced to drink standing water which also our domestic animals, rely on when grassing and this puts us at risk of cholera diseases.
It's also difficult to get meals at home, because we don't have any source of income, we rely on charcoal burning but we hardly sell our goods, and if sold they go at throw away prices.
