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
55000 KES ($375 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In my old age, my primary goal is to ensure that I have an ample food supply. To accomplish this, I intend to continue my regular farming activities, which include cultivating food crops and raising livestock. Besides providing sustenance, any surplus will be sold to generate income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Givedirectly performed exceptionally well, and their willingness to provide us with financial assistance underscores their effectiveness in empowering us to make our own choices with the money. However, I would recommend that we explore enrolling every member of the village to ensure that even those who were not present during the initial enrollment are considered. This would help include all community members in the program.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used a significant portion of my second transfer to construct a semi-permanent concrete-floored house. My previous kitchen was an old mud-walled structure with a thatched roof, and I desired a cleaner and more manageable space. It is now much easier cleaning the house and there is less dust.I repurposed my old kitchen into a goat shelter, saving me the expense of building a separate one. The remainder of the transfer was allocated to purchasing food and essential household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($438 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt so happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. The amount of joy that I felt has lasted to date. To me this was a blessing from God especially at a time that I had lost some of my cattle to some strange disease. I have plans of using the next transfer to build a new house. The one that I am currently living in is too old and at the verge of collapsing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the fact that I became stress free. I had stress on what to eat, I also had stress at night about my sleep since I did not have warm clothes to cover myself over the cold nights. My children whom I relied on had huge responsibilities at their homes which I very well understood. When GiveFirecty came in it gave me the dignity that for a long time I had longest for but which I could not achieve due to shortage of finances. I will always be indebted to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received the first $550, I used $250 to buy a lactating cow and used another $40 to buy food for my family since we received the money at a time that we were facing serious drought. I saw this as a relief to my son Richard who has been providing for me the basic needs including food and clothes. Being as old as I am, I would not do much to provide for myself and it is GiveDirectly that has come in with a helping hand; I will always be grateful for this. Right now, I have my own cow that I milk and I also had enough food that lasted for a couple of days. I still have some of the things that I bought with the first transfer.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My National Insurance cover is dormant because I have not paid for it in the last 6months. This puts a lot of worry on me that if I fall sick it will be difficult raising the hospital bill. At the moment I feel weak and therefore I need a medical check-up. Receiving this money means I will revive my national insurance cover so that it becomes active and ready for any eventuality. I intend to spend $120 of my transfer to pay for my hospital insurance for the whole year
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am a member of the Catholic church and since I cannot walk due to a spinal deformity, members of the church come to see me often. Two weeks ago they congregated here in my compound and prayed for me and I was happy to have them
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am suffering from curvature of the spine that began 10 years ago and this has affected my walking posture. Because of this, I cannot engage in any activity to generate income making me dependent on other people to run even small errands. I have not sought medication due to lack of money. I went to the hospital last year in December but I came back unattended because I could not raise $100 that was required for an X-ray