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
55000 KES ($456 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?
The goal that I am currently working on is to purchase a dairy cow because it is a necessity. This would help me save up the money I use daily on milk. I don’t have the financial capabilities now but I am optimistic that I will realise this goal someday.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has helped the less fortunate in society to realise their dreams that were left untouched because of financial constraints. I managed to accomplish my goal, thus I am forever thankful to the organisation for lifting my living standards. However, I feel that the organization should have considered everyone in the village especially, the divorced women and single people who are still living in their parent’s homes to eradicate poverty in our communities.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My wife is a teacher and I am a shopkeeper at a nearby shopping centre. God blessed us with two children. Upon receiving my second transfer, my wife and I agreed to use our transfer to purchase a parcel of land with all of our transfers. This is because we live in the family land, which is small. Because of financial constraints, it was hard for us to extend it before. We saw it as the best investment because our family size was increasing too. I am forever grateful for the opportunity that uplifted my living standards.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($473 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 7 am and I was at my shop busy serving the customers when suddenly I heard my phone ringing notifying me of a new message. I finished serving the few customers that were there and then I checked the phone to see what the SMS was all about. I was surprised when I opened the SMS and I read that I had received KES 55000 that GiveDirectly had promised us. I was so happy on seeing this that I immediately called my wife to inform her about the good news. She was so happy too and we thanked God and GiveDirectly for it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a big difference in our lives as a family. This is because we managed to buy land of our own. We are planning to move there and settle once we get the next transfer that we going to use in building a house. We are thus happy and grateful to GiveDirectly for supporting us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent our entire recent transfer on buying a piece of land. We bought an acre and 2 points. We had some other amount with us that we had saved but it was not enough to purchase that size of land. It has always been our wish to have land of our own because the one that we have been living in is our family's. We thus wanted where we could move to, settle, and make our developments. We just however had not gotten more money to add to what we had saved so that it could be enough to make the purchase.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to boost my business. My search for employment proved futile after graduating from the university in 2018 and led me to start an electronics shop. Businesses have been down since the Covid-19 pandemic hence the income I get is not enough to cater to basic needs for my family of three. I will use the first transfer to restock my shop and use the second transfer to purchase a piece of land. I am happy as my income will double and also the business will grow improving my life and that of my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Three months ago, I bought a heifer after saving for a year. I am proud of myself because it is the first cow I am owning. In two years, I project it will have calfed hence enough milk for consumption for my family and also a source of income from selling milk. This will change my life for the better.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraints are the biggest challenge. I am the sole breadwinner for the family since my wife is still in the university studying. Even though she gets a government school loan, it is not enough to pay for all her school fees and upkeep such as accommodation and food which amounts to KES 16,000 every month. This is quite hard to raise because I do not have a stable income. I mostly rely on loans from microfinance banks which is expensive to repay due to the high interest rates.
