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 ($501 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life has really improved so much when I got two dairy cows that give me milk. I spent the money from selling milk on buying food for the household and on meeting personal needs. Additionally , I also get to feed my family using some of the milk I get. It is really a good way of life having dairy cows to rear. At the moment, there is plenty of grass due to the ongoing rains. I am so happy that I made this choice.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by giving us aid in cash. This money gave us the freedom to pick the most beneficial ways in our lives. They gave us a chance to deal with the worst problems in our lives.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the money I received on buying two dairy cows. I needed to spend all the money on establishing income generating activity. I decided on the cows because they would produce milk and also that they multiply. When they bring forth to more livestock, I will ensure that I keep them to maturity before selling them. They will fetch some good money that I can spend wisely on my future needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($546 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I had sought financial help from various people in order to raise money for my son who was joining high school since I could not manage to meet all the expenses by myself considering my meagre earnings as a casual laborer. However, I was not able to raise enough. Through support from GiveDirectly, I had enough and my son is now in school. To me, taking my son to school is the biggest difference in my daily life. I had even told him I may not afford to take him to high school because of our financial situation. I struggle to even put food on the table, therefore, paying school fees was like a dream to me. I am glad that Give Directly made my dream come true.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I saw the notification from GiveDirectly early in the morning. I realized later that it had been sent much earlier. When I went through the content of the message, I could not believe that I had received my first transfer. I was filled with happiness in my heart and thankful to GiveDirectly for they had fulfilled their promise to us.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of the transfer to pay school fees for my son who was joining high school. I did shopping for him, bought stationery and other materials that were required on the reporting date. I thank GiveDirectly for the financial help because the little money that we had as his parents was not enough to do shopping and take care of other expenses that were required at that time. I also used some of the money to pay school fees for my other younger children who are in primary. In addition to this, I bought a pair of oxen to aid me in my farming. Previously, I would spend a lot of money to hire casual workers to cultivate my farm. I could also not harvest much since I could not afford to cultivate a bigger piece of land. The pair of oxen will enable me to get abundant yields and relieve us from the cost of buying food always since I will be able to utilize a bigger portion of my land. The money I normally use to hire labor will be spent on meeting other family needs. I will cultivate my neighbors land when the planting season comes and earn some income out of it. I also bought a goat and I am hopeful that it will reproduce and increase in number.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My dream has always been to purchase my own oxen and an ox plough so I can ensure a food secure home for my family. These will help me plough a bigger parcel of land and hence get more produce from my farm that can last me and my family several months. I will also give my son part of the transfers to start a business of his choice thus ensuring a steady flow of income to the family so I can be able to educate his sister who is now in class seven.
What is the happiest part of your day?
At night when am alone, I am filled with so many sad thoughts of my late mother whom I lived with till the time of her death. However, I am happy in the morning because I interact with my children and neighbors thus keeping the thoughts at bay.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraints have been my biggest challenge. I have single handedly brought up my children without any meaningful employment after returning to my ancestral home because their father could not afford to pay my dowry. Consequently, my eldest son had to drop out of school at class four due to lack of fees. He now does odd jobs to help me feed the family. His sister also dropped out in class seven and got married. Only one of my children is now in school and am desperately hoping I can be able to pay for her education upto college.