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 ($501 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am so happy since the transfers empowered me to buy a pair of oxen which is now my dependable living assets. As a farmer, I have always been longing to own them but due to the poverty life that stricken my household I could not afford it. Therefore I was always using my hands in ploughing and I was getting some low harvests because I could not utilize the whole farm. Currently, I am positive that I will be getting plenty of harvests because the bulls can take fewer days in ploughing so many acres. I will also be hiring them to my neighbors at a fee and generate an income. Therefore owning the pair of oxen makes my life different
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well in my village because every needy household was visited and received the transfers as promised. Also, the fact that we were taught on how best we can spend the money on according to our desires was also the best part that I loved the most.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on paying school for my children who are in primary school at a total of KES 8000. They are now studying without any disturbances like before. I then bought some beddings such as a new bed, mattress, and bedsheets. Initially, I was sleeping on some old mats which I was not comfortable and also always attacked by some bedbugs. Lastly, with the remaining amount of money, I used it in buying enough foodstuffs for my family and some other household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($533 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
I am happy to have now acquired a pair of oxen to help me in my farming. I have been hiring from neighbours during the planting seasons which was expensive to me, and using the hoes was time-consuming and tiresome as well. I could not fully cultivate my farm. I feel owning this pair makes it be the biggest difference in my daily life because I am assured of cultivating a bigger acreage and doing timely cultivation since rainfall is sometimes unpredictable in our region thus planning for early cultivation is always a priority, which can only be achieved through the oxen.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I heard my phone ringing at night and I could not comprehend the contents of the message. I waited for daybreak, where I called my helper who informed me that I had finally received my transfer from GiveDirectly. I was greatly overjoyed for the fortune as I celebrated together with my family.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent KES 30000 of the first transfer to purchase a pair of oxen to assist me in my farming. I used to hire from neighbours which were expensive to me, thus I was only using the hoes which are not effective with a larger portion of land. With the pair, I am assured that I will be able to plough my farm timely and utilize it maximumly for abundant yields. I also spent KES 8500 purchase an ox plough to use with the pair in ploughing. Apart from all these, I also bought a new wooden bed to replace the old traditional bed that I have been using for a long time. I spent the remaining amount to cater for my household basic needs such as providing daily foodstuffs for my family and paying for some household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Farm expansion has been my biggest wish since I have depended most on subsistence farming in order to provide food for my family. Being a widow and unskilled can be the most disadvantageous aspect in life and this has forced me to depend on farming as my reliable source of income. With the help of GiveDirectly cash transfers, I am hoping to reshape my life for the better because my plan is to buy an oxen and an ox-plough that will help me to upscale my farming production. The oxen will also earn me income whenever it is hired on fee basis by my neighbours. This will bring a positive change in my life, a transformation that I have longed for.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day and this is because I usually get ample time to rest after having our dinner with my family. I consider morning and afternoon hours being the worst because, I always get involved in laborious farm work that makes my day look busy and tiresome.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability is my biggest hardship in life since I am a dependant to my children whose jobs are casual. Their earnings are never enough something that has forced me to depend on farming that is not reliable due to the droughts we are experiencing in this area. This has affected me negatively since in some cases, I skip meals due to lack of money to buy from the shop and this has made my life so difficult.