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 ($501 USD)
access_time over 4 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 now so different in so many ways that I can mentions and I am so proud, courtesy of GiveDirectly. I managed to pay school fees for my children in time. I also have some new mattresses for my family. These were to replace the old ones that we have been using for all those years causing some backpains. Lastly, the pair of oxen that I now own will also help in the farming activities. It is a relief too,e because I have been hiring from friends and it was expensive. I will also hire them for my friends and generate an income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Through enrolling all the households in my village, according to me, was a nice initiative. Als the money was sent directly to our account which was reduced the cases of theft. I did not see anything GiveDirectly never did well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of the second transfer on clearing huge school fees for my children who are in secondary school. I then bought two goats as my living assets that I can depend on just in case of any financial crisis. I spent the remaining amount of money, on buying enough foodstuffs for my family and some other household items .
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($545 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life that I can proudly talk of ever since I received my first transfers from Give Directly is that I now have a pair of oxen. Previously, I used to hire from neighbors whenever I wanted to prepare my farm. This was very costly for me and sometimes I could not prepare the farm in good time which led to poor harvests. I am now a happy farmer because I can plough my farm in a good time unlike before. This will really help me because I believe in the coming season I will harvest enough since I will be utilizing my whole farm.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I saw the notification from my mobile phone at exactly 6 am. Upon checking, I realized it was an mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I had finally received the money that I have been waiting for. I felt so happy and started planning on how I would utilize the money
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a pair of oxen which I am currently keeping in my homestead. I settled in purchasing them because of various reasons. One, they will be of great help in my farming activities, fetching water from the dam and many more. I also bought a bed and a mattress because previously I used to sleep on the traditional bed made of ropes. I was always complaining of some back pains. I then cleared school fees for my children so that they can study without any disturbances. The remaining amount of money I bought enough foodstuffs and paying some other household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I used to own a pair of oxen but it perished due to drought in 2015. These animals helped me to till 8.5 acres of land during their existence. I could harvest up to 25 bags of maize and my family was food secure. However, after their death my production reduced to 6 bags of maize as I only till 3 acres. This is because it expensive to hire from other people. I will use this transfer to replace my pair of oxen to scale up farming and also hire them at a fee. I will also purchase a dairy cow and that will mean a constant supply of milk in my village as well household consumption. These projects will generate income that will cater for my family needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Mornings set the mood of the day and they determine how successful it will be. It makes me happy when I wake up full of energy. This prepares me to undertake my farm duties without much struggle.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Subsistence farming is not sufficient as it only provides food. This means I need an extra source of income to provide school fees, medical and clothes for my children. To supplement this, I have been burning charcoal but I stopped due to respiratory diseases. This has affected my financial status and I am struggling to take care of my family. The major issue is school fees which has withhold the results of my two children who completed school with fee arrears. It hurts me so much because my daughter missed the Kenya Police recruitment because she doesn't have her result slip. My 3 children who are currently in secondary school spent 2 weeks at home because of 5000 shillings. In this regard, I can say financial instability is my biggest hardship.
