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 ($428 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?
At the moment I do not have a current goal, but I would just love to see my children proceed on with their education uninterrupted. With time, I hope to open a cosmetics shop to supplement my income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am grateful to GiveDirectly for giving me such a large sum for the first time and allowing me to choose how to spend it. The assistance and the clear enrollment process helped us understand the entire project and the source of the funding that we were receiving. That was a job well done.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was glad to receive the second transfer because I had been planning on buying some more livestock to add to my herd. I am a primary school BOG teacher and also a single mother of two children who are both in school. Paying for their school fees is sometimes a burden since my income is not enough to cater to all the basic needs of the family. With this transfer, I was able to buy one dairy cow for $280 to add to the two that I previously had, and also bought seven sheep for $210. At least from the cows, I get milk which I sell daily at the dairy shop and to my neighbors too. With this, I am able to cater to other basic needs. The remaining amount of $40, I spent on feeds and supplements that were missing from the food store. My family has benefitted immensely from GiveDirectly's generous cash assistance, which I am grateful for.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($476 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 around 9.55a.m and I was doing general cleaning and heard a celebration from the neighborhood confirming they had received their first transfer. I kept checking my phone as I anticipated mine. After a few minutes, my phone vibrated when I checked, it was an MPESA message bearing good news about my first transfer. I was excited and celebrated the good news alone in the house. I had to make the initial plans and withdraw the following day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the huge investment in a dairy cow. This has given me a renewed hope of getting adequate milk and diverting the expenses I used to purchase milk on other household bills. I am grateful for the support that has brought transformation to my household.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Purchase of milk every day has been a challenge since we depended on manual jobs to get income. On receiving the first transfer, I bought a dairy cow worth KES 30,000. I am happy that right now I am enjoying adequate milk supply for consumption. With KES 15,000, I deposited in the school account for my daughter for her high school tuition for her next term. She will be able to study without distractions. With the remaining part of the transfer, I purchased maize which will sustain us for a couple of months.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a college education for my child and also an investment which will cover me in the future. I am employed at a gas station in a nearby town as a pump attendant and I earn KES. 4,000 monthly which is mostly taken up by school fees and food expenditures in the household. I am happy that I have consistently paid school fees for my firstborn child and she'll be clearing High school this year. I was however worried that from September this year as she joins college I might run short of cash. It was my plan to borrow a loan but since you have enrolled me into this program she will transition to college without any challenge. I would like to spend the money also in buying 10 lambs for this will be my investment so that in the future whenever I shall have other emergencies, I shall be able to overcome.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was happy that GiveDirectly's program started in my village this month. It gave me joy because I have seen from the neighboring village the impact and the change of lives that this program comes along with.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have a big challenge with my work because am supposed to earn a KES. 8,000 salary but my employer is arrogant. He deducts KES.4,000 monthly claiming that it will cover for unforseen costs in the operation of the gas station. It is so unfortunate because we can do nothing about the situation and my salary is just high on paper but not in reality. This strains our expenditure because we have to be so cautious on what we spend on. School fee always comes first then other needs which are rarely met.
