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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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Enrollment
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Completed
Newsfeed > Thamaa's Profile
Thamaa's family
Thamaa
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
57
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53010 KES ($392 USD)
access_time 11 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Since there is a water shortage in our area, I set a goal in that direction and intend to see it through. Fixing fresh tap water at my house is the next thing I want to do. At the moment, I have to travel a larger distance—nearly 90 minutes—to reach a water source. In addition to the distance, purchasing water daily is extremely expensive.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my humble view, GiveDirectly is a perfect organization. The organization arrived to give the locals greater power. Most of the families with children in our region have returned to school after having stopped due to school costs. GiveDirectly is the reason they are going back to school. Soberly, I have to acknowledge that GiveDirectly is a significant organization.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
By the time I got the second transfer, my secondary school student had already been sent back home. I promptly paid the remaining $100 in his tuition fees since I respect his education. He has returned to school and is currently making academic progress. I then decided to spend $130 on a cow. Since I wanted to invest in cow ranching, this was something I had long desired. Every time the cow reproduces, it will not only add to the herd but also supply some milk for my family. When I had finished doing that, I decided to finish building the house I had begun using the first transfer. I spent $5 on roofing timbers and $49 on five iron sheets to make up for the missing building supplies. The contractor's work cost me $150. I bought meals for my family using the remaining money.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES
access_time 1 year ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at work when I heard my phone ring. I never paid any attention to the message because I assumed it was from the service provider. When I got home, I asked my helper to read the messages for me, and he confirmed that I had received $550 from GiveDirectly. I was overjoyed because I knew I would achieve my goals.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The fact that I was able to construct a house in such a short period is the most significant difference in my daily life. I'm glad we have a decent place to live every day. Second, I was able to clear the fee arrears, which meant that my children would have plenty of time to focus on their studies without interruption. I am extremely grateful for the generous support that has enhanced my finances.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a widow with four children. I work in a mine to earn a living. When I got my transfer, I decided to build a decent house for my family because the one I was living in was small and ant-infested. Due to financial constraints, I could not previously afford to renovate it. This is because I am the sole provider, and what I earn barely covers both my children's school fees and other basic needs. As a result, I spent $300 on the construction. Second, I paid $50 in school fees and saved the rest. I am grateful for the help that has improved my lifestyle.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
When I succeed in this project and get the grant, I would love to first create a source of income for myself. I'll start off with a business selling some popular small fresh water fish that are quite marketable in the village. Alongside this, I will also offer other vegetables that can also move around here. According to the estimated cost, I need around $100 to accomplish all that. This money will also help me in paying for my daughter's education which is currently costing $120 each academic term. It would be my wish to even be able to take her beyond high school; probably university or college.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My life has been really hard considering what I have had to do to earn a living for the longest time I can remember. But sometimes I do feel genuinely happy especially when I get to have time with my children. I vividly remember in the month of June this year when two of my sons came home to visit us from Mombasa town. They brought me a lot of household supplies and also gave me $30 on the day they were leaving. This made me really happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge here in the village is just drought. And as you might have noticed, most of our problems stem directly from that. I'm a widow living with my two children; a son and a daughter. They're both adults with my daughter still attending high school currently at form two, while my son already dropped out in primary level but never the less he's jobless and dependent on me. To take care of all that, I have been taking all sorts of casual jobs that I can get ranging from casual labor at construction sites to working for manganese mining companies. Construction jobs are heavier and pays $4 daily while mine jobs pays $20 weekly. This has been my life for the past two years of extreme drought that we weren't even able to to grow and harvest any crop.