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 ($418 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had been using the proceeds from the surplus farm produce to pay school fees and other household bills. There is currently a devastating drought that has left no greener pasture for the livestock, forcing us to sell some of them in order to pay school fees. I am grateful for the second transfer because I had an urgent need to pay school fees for my daughter and daughter-in-law. I paid $200 for their school fees and then spent another $200 to purchase a heifer in an attempt to restart livestock farming after selling all of the livestock in the previous months. I am glad the heifer is growing quickly, and hoping to get a lot of milk when she gives birth. In addition, I used the remaining funds to buy food and new clothes for my family of five.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Receiving free cash transfers was the best thing that could have happened to our entire village. This included the freedom to spend our money however we saw fit based on the immediate challenges we wanted to address. I am grateful to have been a part of a program that was executed so fairly, as everyone in the village went through the same interview and was accepted into the program. We later received the same amount of money that changed our living standards.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am thankful for the support I received from GiveDirectly over the past year, and even though the start of a new year brings with it new challenges beyond my control, I am working hard to ensure that I pay my daughter's school fees in order for her to complete her studies. A devastating drought has closed all income sources, particularly farming activities. Despite the time constraints, I'd like to restart a grocery delivery service that I used to run before the transfers. I plan to make a profit by purchasing and selling groceries at a nearby market.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($483 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used KES 20000 to pay school fees for our daughter who is graduating soon, We also used another KES 20000 to buy livestock- an investment that I though shall be of great help to my family. We feel happy that our daughter was able to finally stay in school undisturbed and tahat we now have livestock to keep as well.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I am now a happier woman than I have ever been-raising one happy family as well. We are so happy that we were considered to receive the money.\
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
We all felt very much happy as a family the moment we received a transfer from GiveDirecty. We were eaerly waiting to receive this first transfer. When It fially came we felt extremely as a family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Raising school fees for my two children and my daughter-in-law who are at college and university is our biggest hardship. This is because we have exhausted the livestock that we used to sell to gain income. In line with that, my daughter-in-law has been sent home to collect arrears yet we have no money. This worries me a lot because I would like to ensure that they pursue their studies without much disturbances.
What is the happiest part of your day?
We were connected to the electrical grid about six months ago. This was a great blessing to us because it has eased our lives in some ways. First, the electricity bill is much lower compared to the that of paraffin that we were using. To be precise, we can save as much as KES 200 per month while using electricity. Secondly, electricity acts as a cleaner source of power as opposed to the use of paraffin. Moreover, we would gain some income of a bout KES 30 daily by charging mobile phones for my neighbors.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
As a peasant farmer, raising school fees for my four children has been tough. Precisely, we have been forced to sell all the cattle we had to raise the needed money. As such, receiving this money means we shall afford to buy another cow. I will acquire a mature cow at approximately KES 45000. Cattle are prestigious livestock in our community; it is a valuable way of accumulating wealth since they would reproduce. Since three of my children are yet to complete their studies, I will utilize some of the transfer on paying their fees.
