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?
I would love to be able to expand my business further. In the long run, I'd like to buy about 3 more acres in a better irrigated area, as our farm is currently pretty dry and tilling the land is difficult. All of this, I believe, would provide a solid foundation for providing a better life for my children.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I was now without a source of income. My casual jobs, which involved burning wood to make charcoal, had all dried up. GiveDirectly did what they do best: they entered a situation and helped you get out of it with dignity. They blessed our family in ways we could never have imagined or accomplished in the time frame provided by GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
While my husband works as a tuktuk driver in Mombasa, I have been working on our three-acre farm to produce food for our family. He earns $10 per day and comes to see us once a month. We barely have enough money to allocate to development projects between us, so when we received the funds from GiveDirectly, we stocked up on food for the house and expanded our business by adding a stall from which we are now selling thrift clothing to those in the surrounding area. I then concentrated on paying my children's tuition. I have three in school and two who have yet to start. The three attend Ndarako School and pay tuition of $10, $7, and $6.5 for their grades.Learning ages 5, 3, and 2. We would not have met our obligations as caregivers if GiveDirectly had not stepped in. I will be eternally grateful to GiveDirectly for their contribution to the continued existence of our family unit as we know it.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($475 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 very early in the morning that day when we had just woken up as a family. We did not expect to receive the money that day and to me it was a pleasant surprise. I took time to inform my husband of the same and he was equally so much overjoyed. I informed him to go and withdraw the money as we agreed on the things that we needed to do in order to benefit from it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily live is the tuktuk that we were able to buy. This is definitely going to be a life changing investment for our family. For the longest time, my husband has had to work as a tuk tuk operator operating someone else's machine and this left him with very little amount at yh end of the day. He would be left with as little as Kes 300 that was hardly enough to buy food for the family but with the ownership of the vehicle we can be sure to make up to KES 1500 per day. Our five children would then have their school fees paid in time and be sure to have an even brighter future.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent KES 50000 as deposit for a tuk tuk that we bought on hire purchase and used the remaining KES 5000 to buy food for the family. My husband has been working as a tuk tuk driver but all this while he was working for someone else who is the owner of the tuk tuk. He could make up to KES 1500 per day but he would have to remit KES 1000 to the owner of the vehicle often leaving him with very little or no amount at all to save. With the purchasing of the vehicle we will be able to make up to KES 1000 per day- an amount that will even increase once we finish paying back the loan.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My goal is to build a seperate house for my 3 kids, since we are staying in one house and they are growing older, most weekends when my spouse comes from work in Mombasa, because of privacy, am forced to ask them to sleep at our in-laws and I find it very annoying.
I plan to use part of the first transfer which is around 30,000 KSH which is inclusive of labour and building materials.
The rest of the transfer I plan to pay school fees arreas for the 3 children which amounts to 15,000 KSH. I also plan to use 5000 KSH to do food shopping for the family that will last us for few months.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My two children have been in and out of hospital for better part of last year, but doctors couldn't diagnose anything. towards end of the year I started prayers.and it's the happiest thing that happened, no one has ever been sick again.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband works as a Tuktuk (taxi) drivers Mombasa, and is employed so in a day he makes 500 KSH, his employer takes 400 KSH and remains with 100 KSH.its difficult to send home and also pay for his bills, considering he has rented a house, his food and it's so tough for us back at home.
Another challenge is the school fees arrears, children are chased from school time to time, and it makes me loose peace of mind, they also don't have time to concentrate in class leading to poor performance.
We are hopeful that after receiving the transfers life will never be the same for our family, we appreciate Givedirectly organisation for the program.
