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 ($512 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I mainly depended on small scale farming as a source of income. The income would fluctuate which made it difficult to save or take care of my family's pressing needs. My daily life has been different since I received GiveDirectly's transfers because I have been able to buy a piece of land. I will no longer hire land each season which had stressed me before due to lack of money. I expect a reduction in costs of production thus I will have better output. On the other hand , owning this land will enable me to carry out extensive crop farming hence provision of my family needs especially food won't be a challenge anymore.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly has elevated majority of people in my community out of poverty because they have build decent houses, engaged in practices like rearing livestock to source income with the money that was given to them which is non refundable. To me there is nothing bad GiveDirectly has done.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent the larger part of my second transfers 35,000 KES to complete the purchase of a quarter acreage of land that I partly paid with the first transfer.I bought food for my family's consumption and decent chairs worth 3000 KES . The remaining amount I used in completing the construction of my house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($527 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life that has come about because of the money that I received from GiveDirectly is that I have been able to buy a piece of land. The piece of land that I bought is one of the most valuable assets that will help me a lot and my family especially when we put it under cultivation. I am looking forward to planting horticultural crops in it and bring an improvement in the living standards of my family.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received this money at around 4:00 am in the morning. I felt so happy to learn that I had received the money that had been promised to me. I went back to sleep and called the father of my children the following day to share the good news with him. We then embarked on implementing the plans that we already had with the money without any misunderstanding.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I used most of my first transfer to buy a piece of land and used the remaining KES 5000 to buy food for my children. We stay in a small piece of land at home which made it difficult for us to practise even the most basic subsistence farming methods that could improve our livelihoods. This investment shall definitely change the course of my life and that of my family by raising our living standards.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to actualize my dream of being a modern poultry farmer.I have always wanted to keep chicken for commercial purposes i.e supply eggs to nearby markets, but money has been a constraint.With this money,I will purchase a poultry wire mesh and build a modern house for them as well as buy feeds.Having done this,am sure there will be a constant source of income for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning,I prepare breakfast and do some house chores.As my children leave for school,I set out to my farm.At the farm,I plant,weed or harvest depending on which season that is.Seeing my farm produce coming up makes me happy because with this I know that my family will have food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
For the past three years,I have not had a good maize harvest.With maize being the staple food in our community,I have been forced to buy it in order for my family to have a meal.My spouse and I have no source of income and we have had to strain doing casual jobs in people's farms to get enough money to purchase maize.This is the biggest hardship I have faced.
