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 ($519 USD)
access_time 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 is currently different because I now have a new pair of oxen that will be helping me in doing my farming timely for better harvests. I also built a new decent and iron roofed house. My previous house was grass thatched and in a bad state. I am happy that I moved into my new house, which I wouldn't have built if I was to use my own resources.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly has done well in choosing our region to benefit from this program. Our living standards have now improved since we can now access to good shelter, take our children school and also owning livestock which are assets to us. I don't see anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent a larger portion of my second transfer on buying building materials in order to build a new house. I purchased iron sheets and building poles to facilitate the construction. I am now sheltering in my new house. Having built a house which was my greatest desire is the biggest achievement that I can boast of. I spent the remaining amount on buying foodstuffs and paying for other household expenses.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($543 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference is owning the pair of oxen which I had previously been desiring to own. I could not buy at my own cost since it is costly. Through the financial help from GiveDirectly, I now own the pair. I am happy that during the planting season, I will no longer be hiring for ploughing, instead, I will be hiring to them at a fee. Also, when these bulls mature, I will be selling them at a profit. I can use this profit to buy more pairs of oxen at lower cost.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was woken up by a message notification and on checking the content of the message, it was from GiveDirectly informing me that I had received the transfer that they had promised us. I was filled with happiness at that instant and I am always thankful to GiveDirectly for the financial assistance.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent KES 29000 on purchasing a pair of oxen that would aid me in my farming. I have been doing farming for a long time without oxen. I could not till the whole farm since I could not afford to pay for the cost of hiring. I am well pleased now that I have my own pair that would enable me to increase my acreage as well as relieving me the cost of hiring. I also bought some iron sheets and timber for the renovation of my house which was in bad condition. In addition to this, I did some shopping for my children as they were going back to school. I bought them stationery and new school uniforms for them. I spent the rest of the transfer to buy adequate foodstuff for my family which would at least last us longer without buying them.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
With this money, I will be able to realise my dream of starting my livestock trade business within bamba market. I have been engaged in the trade for a very long time as a dealer for others earning a commission. I have always wished to own my business in this trade which is very profitable but lack of sufficient finances to invest has always been the stumbling block to achieving my life time dream. Since I know the trade very well,when I get my transfers I plan to invest a large portion of it in the livestock trade business whereby I will major on selling goats and cows only since they are more marketable than sheep. I am confident that the income that I will be able to generate will enable me to educate all my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening hours marks the happiest part of my day because it is the only time that I get to spend with my family after a tedious day of working.
I wake up very early to go to bamba to source for work from my contacts. Most of the jobs lasts for the better part of the Morning until late afternoon when I return home with some food for my family. After taking my lunch, I rest for a while under the shade of my house as I wait for the afternoon sun to subside. I then head out to the fields to herd the few livestock that I have until late evening when I return home to my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Not having a stable job to generate sufficient income that will enable me to sustain the needs of my large family of ten is the biggest hardship that I face in life. I am a casual worker and the jobs that I get hardly fetch much to enable me educate, feed and even provide decent shelter for my children. Currently five of us are forced to squeeze in our small house when night falls as the other five seek shelter in their elder brother's house. Since I am not able to get enough,paying school fees for all my children has also proven to be an uphill task. Most of the time they are chased away from school due to fee arrears and this has forced them to really lag behind in their studies. Most of them have been forced to repeat classes even more than one's. This makes them to be the laughing stock of the school because they end up being overage in the classes that they are forced to repeat to cover all sessions.As a result,they end up being so demoralised to an extent that as we speak,two opted to drop out when they were faced with the possibility of repeating the same class again. This really hurts me as a father because to a larger extent, I feel like I am failing them as a parent in helping them achieve their goals in life.
