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 ($462 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have been depending on dairy farming to educate my children and I am at times forced to sell the heifers when they are sent back home. So far, I have lost count of the number of livestock that I have sold and I currently have only one dairy cow that I bought using my first transfer. It is my wish to start a clothes business since I know how to operate it and convince people to buy. By achieving this, I will be able to pay school fees for my children on time while ensuring that I do not sell any of my livestock anymore.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well by giving out financial aid to the poor people in society. In addition, all the eligible households were enrolled and given an equal amount of financial aid. With this, we were able to achieve our goals depending on our order of priorities. I do not see anything that the organization did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Paying school fees for my children has been an uphill task for me since I depend on dairy farming. I have three children at different levels of education while two have not started school. Because of this, I am at times forced to sell some of my livestock whenever my children are sent back home and I do not have any money to use in clearing the fee arrears. Using KES 25000 from my recent transfer, I paid school fees for my son in college so that he would be allowed to sit for his examinations. Also, I spent KES 6000 to purchase a goat as an investment that will help me remember GiveDirectly’s good deeds in our lives, KES 15000 on a cupboard, and two seats since I did not have any. I spent the remaining amount on food and clothes for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home since morning that day working on my small garden but it was unfortunate that my phone had been off from the previous day after its battery drained. Seeing people running up and down with most of them heading to the town could not give me even a hint of what was happening. On charging my phone later in the evening, I came to my senses and started reconnecting with what had been happening all day. I was very excited as we;l but could not withdraw since it was already late. I just informed my family and waited till the next day when I collected from the nearby shopping center.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the peace of mind that I currently have after obtaining a lactating dairy cow that has been providing us enough milk for our home use and also clearing the school fees arrears that were still pending in my children's school. I am glad that I managed to complete all that I had been hoping to and still looking forward to the remaining transfer that will help in initiating a new project.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon withdrawing all the money from my account, I spent KES37000 on buying a lactating dairy cow to add to the pre-existing one that I had been keeping. I had been dependent on one cow that I was given by my neighbor. I also spent KES 10000 on paying school fees for my three children - one in college and the other two in secondary school. It had been so hard raising their school fees in full but instead, I had been paying in bits whenever I get some money after selling milk. With the remaining amount, I purchased foodstuff enough for my household and also a piece of furniture.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We have only one lactating cow that gives us approximately five liters of milk daily. We would sell two liters of the milk to gain some income ( a liter is sold at KES 30). Unfortunately, the income could not adequately suffice our financial demands yet we have no other sources of funds. Even so, we would consume any remaining amount of the milk since it acts as one of our staple food items. As such, we have been struggling to expand our herd in vain due to a lack of capital. As such, receiving this money means that we shall acquire more dairy cows to providers with additional liters of milk. So, I plan to use about KES 80000 of the transfer on purchasing two cows. Eventually, we shall obtain more income, make significant savings, and remain well-nourished, thanks to the anticipated increase in the volume of the milk we shall be having.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the mid-morning when I am delivering milk to a local cooling plant. This suggests that we shall have some income in the future. Since milk serves as the primary source of our income, timely deliveries to the cooling plant are crucial.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The adverse effects of climate change we are facing act as the biggest hardship we have faced as a family. Specifically, we have been experiencing extreme weather conditions that have resulted in the mass destruction of our crops. As such, we have ceased to do crop farming and resorted to dairy farming alone. As a family that relies on subsistence for livelihood, the over-reliance on our only one cow has proved to be retrogressive.
