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 ($433 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In the short-term I would love nothing more than to start a mini mart, run it and use it to give my kids a better education and future. With the right knowledge, I'm sure they can move to bigger and greater heights than we as their parents would have ever imagined.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly makes miracles happen! I was living in a thatched house before the first transfer from GiveDirectly. With the funds, I was able to build a one bedroom house and partially do the roof, and with the second transfer, I spent the funds as outlined prior. My point here you may wonder? Well, I had never imagined I'd be out of where I was then and be where I am today, but I never lost hope. GiveDirectly restores hope in humanity. Were it not for them, myself and countless others would still be walking in the wilderness of financial turmoil with no one to help. I pray GiveDirectly continues to be a blessing, now and always.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Five goats, all female was my first buy with the GiveDirectly funds. As a casual labourer earning $5 per day , on the days when I do get a job, it's hard to explain how long it would have taken for me to have the disposable income to have bought those goats for cash. The rest I mainly allocated to food and upkeep, with bulk going towards paying school fees for my 6 kids. The first five all attend Mlagoni Primary School, and all pay $25 per term for tuition, while the last born goes to Tumaini Academy and pays $3 per term for their tuition. The eldest is in Class 8, Two are in Grade 3,Grade 2, One is Grade 1and the youngest is in PP1. GiveDirectly truly has been a blessing to us as a household.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($488 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 AM when I was from the bush looking after my cattle when my cellphone started ringing so loudly. I asked one of my sons to check who it could be since I am illiterate. I was extremely happy after infirming that I had received my first KES 55000 from the GiveDirectly. They had finally fulfilled their promise. This still feels like a dream to us because we never thought our financial problems would come to an end anytime soon, also I will be in a position to construct a new house for my children.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest in my daily life is that is my children can now comfortably sleep in a better shelter. They were forced to seek shelter from a neighbor every evening. This used to stress me a lot but then there was no alternative. Apart from that some of my properties were always stacked in the open because of the limited space in my house. This was a frustrating situation because children never had a place to study at night either. Having a family of eight it has never been easy for my spouse and me to take good care of them because we have been relying on the odd jobs and whatever we could earn could hardly fend for their basic needs. I thank GiveDirectly because, through their financial support, I managed to build a new decent house for the kids, and currently, they are studying comfortably without any interference. This has even made their academic performance improve since they are at peace now. Also, they no longer have to move from one compound to the other in search of shelter. As their parent, it has restored my joy and dignity.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying eighteen prices of iron sheers at 950 each, building poles of KES 9000, nails, timber, and the labor charge of KES 5000. I had to purchase all these to construct a new house for my children since our previous one had only a single room. Having a family of eight, it could not accommodate us all and they had to seek shelter from neighbors. Also, I cleared school fees of KES 5000 for my six children who are in primary school and I am glad they are no more distractions like before concerning the fees. I also bought new clothes and shoes that were to replace the old ones that had worn out. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough food.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means getting a new house. Imagine having a family of six children living in a single roomed house! This is the situation that I am currently in. We live in a small house where we share the same room with my children. This is unethical and against our culture to sleep in the same room with grown up children. However, I have no choice because I am not capable of building a bigger one. In most cases, they are forced to look for shelter from neighbours. I am even afraid of hosting a guest for a night. This has been worrying me too much. I depend on charcoal burning business to get food to meet the basic needs of my family. This business earns me less than 1000 KES a week, which is not sufficient for my family. This makes it difficult to save and build a bigger house. I intend to use the first cash transfer to build a two bedroom house that will cost 40000KES. I will then use the remaining amount to buy beddings for me and my children. I will also buy ten goats and sell when they multiply as an investment for my children education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Afternoon is usually the happiest part of my day. This is because, I wake up very early in the morning at around 5am. I walk for three kilometres to look for water. I then come back at around 8am. I cook break fast and prepare my children to go to school. I then leave at 9am for charcoal burning for three hours and come back to cook lunch for my Children. After taking lunch, I get time to rest and refresh my mind.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I have ever faced is lack of a stable source of income. Having a family of six children without a reliable source of income is really challenging. My spouse and I depend on charcoal burning business to get money for our basic needs. Our children are still young and are attending school. Sometimes they are sent back home due to fee arrears. This is because, the business earns us less than 1000KES a week because there are no trees for charcoal burning. The little money we get is solely used for buying food. Getting the logs for burning is another big challenge. This makes life more difficult for me and my family. Upon receiving this money, I will be able to buy livestock as an investment for my childrens' education. I will also use part of it to build a two bedroom house for my family so that they can sleep comfortably.
