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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3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
45000 KES ($346 USD)
access_time 4 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My primary plan is to pray for a successful maize harvest, as I intend to use the income from selling the maize to purchase a plot of land in a safer area. The place where we currently live is prone to flooding, and we are at constant risk of being affected whenever the floods come. Relocating to a better location is crucial for our safety and well-being.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What impressed me most about GiveDirectly is the way you plan things and provide us with unconditional cash, allowing us to make decisions based on our own priorities. I also appreciate that you do not discriminate, enrolling everyone in the village. I don't see any areas needing improvement; please continue with the same spirit and do not change your plans of doing things.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Thank you so much, GiveDirectly, for your support during a critical time. We had suffered greatly due to floods that swept away my vegetable farm and livestock, and left us without access to markets due to muddy roads. Your timely assistance helped us recover immediately, and I am truly grateful.After receiving the cash, I used $350 on agriculture to plant two hectares of maize. This covered all the expenses, and the maize is now almost ripe. With the remaining $100, I purchased food. We primarily depend on planting vegetables because they grow well here, are ready in a few months, and have ready markets.I am a dedicated farmer, focusing on both agriculture and livestock, which my wife and four kids depend on.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
45000 KES ($342 USD)
access_time 8 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Growing up, my parents did not place much importance on education, and unfortunately, I followed suit. I did not have the wisdom to see the value in completing my schooling, so I dropped out in eighth grade, and my parents did not seem concerned about it. Now, looking back, I deeply regret that decision. It is clear to me that my struggles to make ends meet resulted from not having finished my education and thus missing out on better job opportunities.
I do not want my kids to go through the same thing. It really hurts me to think about it. That is why I am determined to send my oldest child to a better school next year. She is in grade six, and I can see that the school she is in now is not good enough. This could affect her grades, especially in her upcoming national exams.
To make sure she gets the education she deserves, I am willing to use money from our farm to pay for her schooling. If I need to, I will even sell some of our goats to make sure she has everything she needs to succeed. It is so important to me that she has opportunities I never had.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am really grateful for GD because it gave us a lot of money, more than I have ever gotten before. This money has helped us do some really good things in our community. Now, people have better houses made of iron sheets,a shift from traditional thatched grass dwellings. Also, school going children who could not go to school due to lack of school fee have now reported back to school. One aspect I'm particularly proud of is the way the transfer has allowed me to enhance my farming activities. I never could afford to grow vegetables before due to the high amount of capital that is required for buying the farm input and maintaining it. I used to admire my neighbor's successful vegetable cultivation, recognizing its profitability with its quick maturation period and ready market. Thanks to GD, I have been able to invest in this venture and expand my agricultural endeavors.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was really happy to get the second payment. My spouse and I had already planned what to do with the money, and we were excited to finally get it. We decided to buy four more goats, so my spouse went to the market on goat action day and spent $200 on them. Adding them to our existing 10 goats makes me really happy because it means we will not have to spend money on buying milk soon since we can milk them when they calve for our family consumption. Additionally, goats breed quickly where we live because of the warm weather, so they are a good investment for our future.
We also used $200 for farming investment. This includes paying for labour for our acre of land preparation, buying vegetable seedlings, and fixing our generator, which we need for watering the crops. Farming is our only source of income for feeding our four children and meeting their needs. I am hopeful that the vegetables will grow well and we can sell them to earn some income. With 30, I bought new clothes for my kids for they to also feel the immediate impact of the transfer, and they were so excited to wear them to Sunday school and show them off to their friends. The rest of the money went towards buying food stuff like sugar, cooking oil, and tea leaves.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
18240 KES ($125 USD)
access_time 9 months ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
As I sat at home with my four kids, a message popped up on my phone, confirming that $200 from GiveDirectly had been transferred to me. My heart soared with joy! We had been struggling, and this money came at just the right time. Immediately, I knew what I had to do. With $20, I rushed to buy food because our cupboards were bare. Then, thinking ahead, I set aside $50 to invest in harvesting maize. It was nearly harvest season, and maize would not only feed us but also provide extra to sell for our daily needs. With gratitude in my heart, I began to see a glimmer of hope for brighter days ahead.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I started receiving transfers from GiveDirectly, the biggest change in my life has been getting a toilet. It's something I really wanted but couldn't afford before. Now, having a toilet has made a huge difference for my family. Life feels so much better, and I'm incredibly happy and grateful for this positive change.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After getting $200 from GiveDirectly, I quickly planned how to spend it. First, I used $20 to buy food for myself and my four kids. We were really hungry, so that was important. Then, I decided to invest $50 in harvesting maize. This would help us have enough food for the future. But I also thought about something really important. We didn't have a toilet, so I used $80 to build one. Now, my family and I are really happy. We have food to eat, and we have a toilet, which makes life much easier and healthier for us.
Enrolled
access_time 12 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
When I receive the transfer, it will help us in our farming activities. I plan to spend about $200 on planting maize, beans, and green grams. They are very profitable and can support my family in the long term. The funds will help us also do irrigation with ease since it's expensive.
Education plays a key role in the future of anyone. We don't want our children to be left out. Therefore, we plan to spend about $200 on their education. That's; fees, books, and uniforms among other school requirements.
Cows do well here due to plenty of grass, though not enough for a large stock. I plan to spend about $300 to buy one. A cow will provide us with milk for domestic use. Hence we won't have to buy milk again, cutting our household expenses.
The rest of the transfer will be used to build a toilet since we don't have one currently. It's important for proper hygiene and good sanitation. It also reduces the chances of diseases.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I see our livestock, am happy knowing they support us during emergencies. One can sell a goat or cow to finance agriculture or even pay school fees. It makes us happy to have livestock to keep, which is very helpful due to the ease of sale.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The drought has been hard-hitting for the last three years. This has led to the loss of farm produce and livestock. The drought meant we had to be creative when farming. It could be through hiring water pumps for irrigation or planting short-term crops. It's more expensive compared with rain-fed agriculture. This has impacted our cost of production and time taken on the farms.