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 ($462 USD)
access_time 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 focus on goat farming because they do well in our place given that we live near a forest. This will be a source of school fees for my kids soon.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well to give us cash directly. For example, since I received my transfer there is happiness in my family. This is because through the money I was able to buy adequate food, and clothing and, build a better house. Additionally, I bought a Friesian dairy cow which is of higher quality and produces more milk hence more income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before GiveDirectly, I had only one dairy cow that produced two liters a day. This was not sufficient to feed my family of 7. As a result, I was forced to work as a casual laborer on the nearby construction sites. From this, I would get KES 400 a day that would only cater for a day's or two basic needs.
So, when I received my second transfer recently it was a noble idea to buy an additional dairy cow after an in-depth discussion with my wife. I, thus, spent KES 40,000 on a dairy cow that just gave birth recently. And as we speak from the two cows, I get a total of 8 liters of milk each day of which I sell four liters at KES 35 per liter. This income helps in the purchase of livestock feeds, pesticides, and most importantly daily basic needs.
Consequently, I also purchased two goats at KES 7,000 each. This is because are economical, they grow rapidly and reproduce twice a year. I intend to sell them soon for school fees because my firstborn is joining high school soon.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home busy doing some fencing repairs on my farm when I heard a message alert in my phone. I stopped to check what it was all about and to my surprise it was an SMS saying that I had received a transfer of KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy on seeing this that I informed my wife who was busy milking the cow. She was so happy to hear the good news that she couldn't wait to finish her chore so that she could confirm it for herself. We were so grateful for the blessing, I then prepared myself immediately so that I go withdraw the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
There has been a big difference in our lives ever since we got our first transfer from GiveDirectly. We have been able to buy cows that we never thought we will be able to buy. Our future is now going to be better because the cows will enable us to have a source of income through the sale of milk produced. We thus have some peace of mind because we were able to achieve what we have always wanted. Other than that, the children now have enough food to eat and some clothing for themselves. They are thus happy because they no longer go hungry.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the better part of my first transfer buying two cows. I decided to buy the cows because I wanted to invest in something that will enable me to earn a better source of income. I have been engaging in small-scale farming and rearing a few chickens. Life hasn't been easy because there are so many household needs like buying food and paying school fees for the children. With these cows, I will be able to get a good supply of milk that I can sell and my children can get some to drink.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means better housing for me and my family. I currently have one small grass-thatched house that can not accommodate all of us as some of my children stay at their grandmother's house. I would like to have a separate house I can accommodate visitors. It would cost me approximately KES 30,000. For the rest of the amount, I will purchase a dairy cow I could be milking to feed four young children. I currently do not have any, I purchase milk at KES 840 a month which is costly considering we are peasant farmers.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day starts at 5. am. I go straight to my farm for about three hours. I then take my farm animals to grazing fields till afternoon. The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon. At this time, the cows are already fed, I can rest and spend time with my children since all of them will be at home after school.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship is a lack of finances. I dropped out of school due to a lack of school fees. After a while, I just decided to get married 13 years ago as I thought we will be helping each other with my spouse. This is when life got even harder when we began siring children and my family expanded. I now have five children, all in school looking up to me as the breadwinner. The work I do is very unsustainable, I earn at most KES 7000 a month which cannot meet my needs.
