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 ($442 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?
We have a new goal of starting a clothes selling business where my husband will be the one running the business. We are so much reliant on casual labour to raise income which is hardly enough to meet the needs of our family. It is for this reason that we are thinking of starting a business of this sort. We have started a merry go round contribution as a savings plan and the money that we will collect here shall be used to start the business. We have three children who look up to us and we are determined to do the best we can for them.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well by giving support in form of cash. This support made it possible for each person to invest the money in the ways they saw were the best ways and in which they got maximum benefits from
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 37000 to buy a dairy cow and used the remainder to complete the construction of a house we had built using the first transfer. We made a decision to buy a dairy cow since we did not own one yet it is one of the main economic activities that we do engage in here at our village. We normally rely on casual work to earn a living which gives us just enough to buy food and meet other little needs of my family. I am very happy that finally we were able to buy a dairy cow and looking forward to it providing us with the much needed support in terms of extra income.
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?
It was in the evening when one of my friends inquired whether I had received the promised money from GiveDirectly since she had just received hers. Since I had not seen the Mpesa message, I decided to check my account balance and to my surprise, my account balance indicated that I had received a sum of KES 55000. It was at this time that my heart was filled with joy and I continued preparing our meals jovially while singing some praise songs.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
We own an acre of land but ever since I got married, we have never practiced timely cultivation nor planted all portions of land due to lack of finances. With the transfer, I was able to hire a tractor to till our land, bought hybrid maize and beans seeds, fertilizers and planted on time. Because of this, I am optimistic about a good harvest that will last us till the next harvesting season. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for this positive impact on my life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
It had always been my prayer to build a more spacious house but I had not been able to achieve this due to lack of finances. This is because I majorly depend on working on our farm and maintaining the cleanliness around the compound while my husband works for other people where he earns around KES 100-200 a day that we usually end up spending on food since we're a family of five. Upon receiving the transfer, we spent KES 40000 building a more spacious house for our family. I used the remaining amount on farming, clothes, and a sack of maize to last us for some time. I hired a tractor for land preparation purposes, bought some hybrid maize seeds and fertilizers.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
In this life, it's every parent's prayer to provide basic needs but this has not been the case for my family of 5. Ever since we got married in November 2017, we have been living in a one-room grass-thatched house that serves as the living room, kitchen and bedroom. As the children grow, their intelligence intensifies and it saddens me that my privacy is being compromised. I have desired to build a 2 roomed iron-roofed house since 2017 but unfortunately, finances could not allow me as the crops we farm is purely for household consumption. I intend to use KES 45000 to complete this house construction and it will be my joy (smiles) to move into a spacious and comfortable house with my family as my dream will have been fulfilled.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a backup plan, my husband attends casual jobs such as weeding, digging and planting people's land to earn extra income for my family of 5. Since we depend on subsistence farming for a living, we should agree that the farms have not been 100%productive as has been the case for my family. Despite this, I have always been happy that my husband has attended to these jobs, earned income hence providing food for the household. I am happy that we have not slept hungry any time in the past 6 months.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Imagine living in a single-roomed house with 3 children and 2 adults, embarrassing! Is it not? The soot emanating from the fireplace gives our clothes a different smell that you have to air before leaving for a journey. It pains me that my privacy is intruded and I cannot invite visitors to my house for fear of embarrassment. Consequently having an uncomfortable dwelling is a challenge I am currently facing.