GiveDirectly: Send money directly to the extreme poor

2nd Payment

Transfer Amount

53150 KES ($519 USD)

almost 5 years ago

How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?

I was not able to afford a house for my son before these transfers. He will now own a house and feel free to do his stuff without any permission from anyone. He will now have a place of his own.

In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?

There is no problem with GiveDirectly operations and we have no complains.

What did you spend your second transfer on?

I am using my second transfer to build for my son a house. He completed his forth form last year. He has been spending nights at his friends place and I feel he needs to have a place of his own. When I am done with the construction and I am left with some money, I will buy some goats. I will sell these goats plus the ones I already and send my son to college.

Initial Payment

Transfer Amount

55000 KES ($542 USD)

5 years ago

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.

I had longed to have a nice spacious house that could accommodate my family. My children had been seeking for shelter elsewhere in the neighborhood for a long time since the house we are currently staying is small. The transfer has enabled me fulfill this longing by purchasing building materials which included iron sheets and building poles to construct a new house. The house will soon be completed and I will be moving into it. Having a spacious house is the biggest difference in my daily life.

Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?

I received the message notification early in the morning. On checking it's content, it was from GiveDirectly notifying me that I had finally received my first transfer. I could not hold back the joy and happiness that instantly filled my heart. I was thankful to God and to GiveDirectly for the fortune.

What did you spend your first transfer on?

I spent part of the first transfer to purchase building materials which include thirty iron sheets and building poles in order to construct a new house that can accommodate my family since the one I am currently living in is small and not spacious enough. Through the financial help from GiveDirectly, then I will be able to accomplish this. I am happy that my children will no longer be seeking for shelter elsewhere once this house is complete. I also paid for the full cost of transporting these materials to my home.In addition to this, I spent a portion of the transfer to buy foodstuffs and meeting other basic necessities for my family. My son will be joining a college after successful completion of his high school and because of this, I saved the remaining part of the transfer in order to prepare him when the time for him to join college comes. I greatly appreciate this financial support from GiveDirectly for it has enabled me achieve all these in my life.

Enrolled

5 years ago

What does receiving this money mean to you?

After completing his secondary education last year, my son is still at home waiting for some kind of miracle so that he can further his studies. Well, his miracle is finally here thanks to Give directly. I intend to use the first transfer to pay part of his college fees and the rest I will invest in livestock which I can sell to keep him in school.

What is the happiest part of your day?

I love mornings because they represent the beginning of a new day, a new found hope in life and a chance to work on improving my life for the better.

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

Educating my children has been my biggest struggle due to inadequate finances. Keeping them in school has not been easy considering am an unemployed widow only surviving on casual jobs with unreliable pay. Only one of them has managed to complete his secondary education though unable to proceed to college for lack of funds. Two dropped out and moved to Mombasa in search of casual jobs while one is still in primary school.