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 ($490 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?
My life is so much better than before. Through the GiveDirectly transfers, I have bought a dairy cow and having enough milk for my family hence cutting off the daily milk expenditure. I was also able to start a second-hand business. The business that keeps from being idle and its income has boosted respect in my family since I do not have to depend on my husband for everything, instead, I have something to contribute.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well for sending us transfers directly to our phones. This is a surety of getting all the amount promised unlike sending it through the hands of county officials or other agencies. I have not seen anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was spending a lot of money buying milk from my neighbor and it has always been my dream to own a dairy cow. Unfortunately, I could not raise the capital needed to buy one since I did not have a reliable source of income. When I received the second transfer I decided to use KES 32000 of it to buy the cow. I also boosted my business of selling second-hand clothes (mitumba), a business I started when I received the first transfer. I used the remaining amount to purchase enough foodstuffs for my family and some household items such as good utensils.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($511 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 in the hospital taking care of my father-in-law who was admitted then before he passed on when I was informed by my niece to check whether I had received the money after confirming her own. At the moment my phone was off as I was charging it. With that excitement, I had to put it on and was greeted by a notification that I had received 55,000KES. It was hard to keep it calm and even though I was in a public place where everyone was, I had to express my happiness. I was so grateful that I needed to try withdrawing at least some as an assurance that it was not just a message.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
After ensuring that all the plans for the first transfer were adhered to, I am glad that I am currently living in a clean house where everything is new after the completion of the construction and purchasing of new furniture and bedding. This so far has been the biggest difference in my daily life. Currently, I am looking forward to making other changes especially on farming as one of my plans is to obtain livestock, and also initiate the new business after topping up the small savings I was left with from the first transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After splitting my first transfer into parts, I managed to complete the construction of a new house by obtaining and fitting a ceiling board at a cost of 11,200KES, bought new clothing for every member of my household with the other 12,000KES, obtained new comfortable furniture - with cushions, bedding, and foodstuff with the other 18,000KES, and managed to finally save the remaining with the intent of starting a new business. I was glad that the agreement we had with the other household members never changed that much when we received the transfer and completing the house we had been struggling with was a relief to everybody. Although I have spent 5,000KES of the savings on a tragedy that befell our family when we lost my father and brother-in-law at almost the same time, I am still hopeful that receiving the second transfer will take me through the investment from where I left.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean a lot to me because my households income is very little to sustain our needs. My husband works as a security guard in Nairobi and I plant and sell vegetables in the village. Collectively our income is not enough,but also because my husband barely provides for the household. I am left to use the little income I get to provide basic needs for my children. When I receive the transfer I will use it to buy some livestock,in particular a cow,2 goats and some chicken. I believe livestock farming is a good investment for the future because I can sell or get milk from them. I will also be selling eggs from the broiler chickens and my income will increase. I want to also build a small kitchen separate from the main house because I am forced to live with our 2 goats in the same house and it is mostly unsanitary when living with children in the house. I will also use some of the cash to furnish my house by buying beddings and cushions for the seats.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I normally wake up at 6 in the morning prepare my children for school then head to the farm to pluck some vegetables which I sell by hawking at peoples houses in the village, I do this the whole day by ensuring I have at least 600 shillings daily on sells before heading home in the evening. I am mostly happy in the evening after having made sure that I have some income that will help in providing for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship in my life has been financial strains. It has always been a struggle to provide all the basic needs for my children. My husband barely sends any remittances home and so I am forced to use all the income I get for the household. I barely have anything to save for future use. Most of the time I struggle with providing quality education to my children because even though public schools are free, there are still other school expenses that I have to pay and since I mostly do it alone, my children often get sent home for school expenses.
