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 ($510 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The financial help from GiveDirectly form has empowered me to construct a semi-permanent house that I am currently sheltering on. It has been my wish to sleep in a decent house for years but then I could not afford it. My previous house was just a small round hut that has no rooms with some grass-thatched roofing. This hut could not fit all my family members and this made some of my children live with my relatives which personally I was comfortable with as a parent. I never had time for my children at all because we only meet when taking meals then they leave for the relatives for shelter. Having have received the money I gave the issue of the house the first priority. Currently, we are living happily as a family under one roof. This is what I have been desired for long. Had it not for GiveDirectly coming to my village I don't think if I would have achieved all these.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did everything so well in numerous ways. One during the first meeting at the Barraza we were told clearly that the money is unconditional. One was given the privilege to choose what he or she has been willing to own for long. And that's exactly what happened when I received the money. Secondly, the money was sent directly into my account, this means there were rare cases of theft because no one knew I had received my money. According to me, there is no sector GiveDirectly failed us.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying a dairy cow at KES 25000 and two goats at KES 6000. I have really been longing to keep them in my homestead for years but then due to my low financial status, I could not afford it. I then cleared tuition fees of KES 2000 for my son who is the only one in a secondary school. This will make him not to be sent home every day as he used to. The remaining amount of money, I am using it buying some foodstuffs for my family that will take us for at least three weeks time because it has been a while since we could harvest.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($547 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The money came as a big relief to me. My house collapsed after heavy rains and since then, I have not been able to access a good shelter because I did not have the means and resources to build a new home. When I received my first transfer, I purchased enough building materials that include iron sheets, building poles and nails. I also paid for the labour. I am now in the process of building a new house, which makes it be the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had woken up to attend to my household chores early that morning when a message came through my phone. I was greatly overjoyed when I realized that it was a message from GiveDirectly. I had finally received my first transfer. I remember rejoicing and celebrating with my family. Nobody has ever sent me such amount in my life and I would have died without handling that amount were it not for GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
My house collapsed a few months ago. This happened when the rainy season extended and since the foundation of my house was very poor, it couldn't contain the heavy downpour. I was left homeless. I am not financially stable therefore constructing a new house was not easy. I couldn't gather enough resources and the building materials required to build a new home. When I received my first transfer, I spent KES 25,500 to buy building materials which include iron sheets and building poles. In addition to this, I also bought two goats at KES 5000 which I am currently rearing in my homestead. I am also spending the remaining amount to cater for my household basic needs such foodstuffs as well as paying for some household expenses. I am also planning to buy more goats with the remaining amount which will multiply with time and earn me more money.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Imagine in a polygamous family of 3 wives living in a small and leaking grass-thatched house, where the rooms are congested with beds leaving no space. I have had the desire to own a decent house but due to financial instability, this wish has never materialized something that has forced me to cancel many visitors' appointments with the fear of lacking space to accommodate them. Our plan with my co-wives is to make contributions of $200 each to aid in house construction in order to have a decent home that we can boost of. My other plan is to use $380 to buy oxen and ox plow that will help me to upscale my farming and this will assure me of maximum farm produce hence, food security to my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend my morning and part of my evening hours doing farm work, an activity that is very tiresome to me. Afternoon becomes the happiest part of my day because, I get ample time to rest and share meals with my co wives.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
At the moment, we purely depend on subsistence farming. Since we usually use traditional methods of farming, our farm harvests are always low owing that we are unable to hire oxen to help in tilling our farm in time. This has resulted to food insecurity to our family and this is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced.
