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
53200 KES ($468 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?
My husband inherited two points of land from his parents that our house sits on. Due to its size, we are only able to plant vegetables in a section of it while we use the remaining part as our compound. Because of this, we have to buy maize flour all year round and it is tiring. My long-term goal is to buy a piece of land so that we will at least have a place to plant maize and save ourselves the agony of buying making all the time. We're planning to pool our savings together as a family so that we can use them to achieve this.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well in all aspects of their operations and I do not see anything that they did not do well. Their officers respected everyone that they came in contact with and I heard no form of harassment from them. Also, they were keen on details and made sure that understood everything they informed us of.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used to live in a small single room and we had used a bedsheet to separate our cooking place from the side that we were using as a bedroom. It had been our goal to build a more decent spacious house but we had not been able to since I am a BOM teacher while my spouse depends on working for other people. Being faced with the challenge of buying milk and maize flour daily, we could barely save anything from our income. With the first transfer, I was able to buy some building materials and on receiving the second one, I spent KES 10000 to pay for the labor and to buy a few items that were still remaining. Apart from this, we spent KES 30000 on the purchase of a dairy cow, KES 4000 a three-seater seat, and three plastic chairs at KES 600 each since we did not have even a single seat in our house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($509 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at the farm when I saw the good new that I had received my first transfer, I was overwhelmed with Joy knowing that I would be able to build a good house for myself, I called my husband and broke the news to him, he was so happy that he wanted to board the next available bus so that we could all celebrate this together.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that my living standards will improve to a better one because of a decent new house that I am going to build, I also have a poultry project which I am certain that if all goes well in future I will be selling eggs and other farm produce, I sincerely thank GiveDirectly for the timely support that Has changed my life, I feel so blessed and grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I bought building materials which includes iron sheets, because I plan to build a house for my family, the house that I live in now is a small grass Thatched house, I also used part of the transfer to start a poultry farming project.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Whereas my husband is a primary school teacher, I am a fulltime housewife. He earns $65 which can barely support our family of 3. Receiving this money is the beginning of financial independence for me as a woman. I will spend $350 to buy a dairy cow and another $100 on a small heifer. I believe that this cow will give me enough milk to sell everyday. This means I will no longer strain my husband's meager income for my personal needs and even household necessities.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon. After finishing the day's work in the maize farm after working from morning, I find some time to play and spend some quality time with my 8-month old baby.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband is a primary school teacher earning a paltry income of $65 per month. The biggest hardship I face is having to compete for his salary with my mother in law at the end of the month. I completed a diploma course in secretarial studies last year and I haven't secured a job yet. As a result, I still have to depend on my husband for most needs including food and clothing for me and the child. While my husband has to support his mother and siblings, it becomes detrimental to the progress of our own home affairs. I just wish I had a job!
