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 ($468 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal was to build a house and add as many livestock livestock since most of my livestock died last year due to drought. I am still working on these goals and I will probably think about other goals after I have achieved these goals.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I don't know where I would have been without the transfers, I know my children would have be in school, I couldn't have bought any livestock. What GiveDirectly does well is supporting the poor in the society.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We have lived in distress for the longest time because I believe evening are made for a family to come together but mine was completely opposite. I had a tiny one room where I leaved and since it couldn't accommodate both of us and our five children, we would gather early in the evening, share the available meal no matter how small and my children would leave to spend their nights in various neighborhood homes. It has not been an easy journey and my wish has always been building a specious house where we would all spend nights as a family. This seemed like a nightmare which I was yet to wake up from because I am a house wife and I fully depend on my husband who is a charcoal burner.This has not been a stable source of income because trees are scarce and it would take him a whole month to earn KES 3000. This wouldn't afford us food, school fees and other basic needs. In school, my children had accumulated fees arrears of KES 10000 and I didn't have hopes of clearing it. These transfers have saved us a big deal as I was able to clear all the arrears, buy iron sheets and building poles worth KES 18000, and bought goats worth KES 25000. I'm happy now we have build a two rooms house and we can spend time together as family and im so grateful to GiveDirectly for uplifting me.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($491 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 10am when I was at the field grazing my goats when I heard a message in my phone. Upon checking, it was the 1st transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy to an extent that I didn’t feel how hot the sun was terrorizing my skin in the where there were no shades.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The act of being able to pay KES 10000.00 school fees at once was a miracle on my side. Initially, I was used to paying at most KES 2000.00 to the school and my children were always sent out of school for school due to delayed fee payments.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
On withdrawing the money, the first thing I settled was paying KES 10000.00 school fees for my 2 secondary school children. Thereafter, I bought 5 goats for KES 13000.00. I also bought 2 sacks of maize for the to ensure food security. I saved the rest as I am still figuring out the best options on I can invest the money.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means education to my children. I am a mother of five children and four of them are in secondary school. I do casual work which does not give me enough monyto pay school fees for my children. They are on and off of school due to lack of school fees. Upon receiving this money, I will use KES 70000 to pay school fees for my children. Everyone is required KES 35000 per year. I will use KES 30000 to add one bedroom to my house for it is not spacious now. I will also use the remaining KES 10000 to buy food for the family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the evening. This is because I only take one meal per day due to the famine and it is in the evening. In the morning I go look for job the whole day and come back in the evening.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Last year 2020, there was a severe drought in our community. It led to death of my three cows which was my investment . I had planned to use them to pay school fees for my children in future. As a casual labourer, I did not have any other means to get money to pay school fees in lumpsum. The drought has affected my children education. They are on and off of school due to lack of school fees. That is the biggest hardship I faced in my life.
