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 ($462 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am living with my three children in a one bedroomed house and with limited space it has been challenging for us. My eldest son is 15 years and privacy between ourselves has been very difficult to achieve. It is for this reason that I saw the need to build an extra room that will accommodate my two sons and ensure I maintain their privacy.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The enrolment process was superb and from the end, Give Directly kept their promises. That is one thing that the organization does well. On the improvement arrears, I would like to encourage the organization to enroll more needy people in other villages so that many can get help because of the tough times we are currently facing.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My charcoal selling business has not been profitable enough to cater for all my family needs, which include paying school fees, buying food, buying clothes, among other needs. It is for this reason that I have struggled to pay school fees for my three school going children. I spent KES 18000 to clear off school fee debts for my three children, which I could not pay because of my low income. I am happy that they did not miss any of their examinations and also sent home because of the fee arrears. Besides clearing the school fee debts, I also spent part of the transfer in building an extra room for my two elder children. We all slept together in the one bed roomed house and it was a challenge to fit us all. Because of this, I built an extra room where the two would sleep. Lastly, I saved the remaining amount for shopping and school fees for my soon who recently completed his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations and waiting to join secondary school later this year in May. The money is a tremendous boost for me financially because of the paltry amount of income, and could not raise enough money to pay school fees.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
While I was preparing myself to go to bed at around 9am, I received a message in my phone. I gave the message to my daughter so that she could interpret it for me and this was a good news ever. I was filled with joy and happiness after she confirmed to me that I had received KES 55000.00 from GiveDirectly. The happiness that I felt made me oversleep.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference that GiveDirectly did in my life was enabling me clear a whole year fees for my daughter when I was stuck. By so doing I have a room to take a breath as I plan other things while saving bit by bit for her. As at now I am happy and at peace knowing that she is no longer being sent home for fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I withdrew the money, the priority was to invest in my children education because these are the people to hold my hand at my old age. In that regard, I took KES 25000.00 and paid school fees for my secondary school child. Thereafter, I bought a bed and a mattress for KES 8000.00, five goats for KES 12000.00. Before doing another project as per my list of priorities, my daughter in-law fell sick and I used the remaining amount for her medication.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a widow with a family of seven children. Out of the seven children, one is in secondary school and one is in primary school. All of the two children depend on me to pay for their basic education. Raising these children has never been easy. Over the fifteen years when my husband died, all the responsibilities to provide for the family landed on me. You can imagine being an illiterate, jobless and old woman without any source of a stable income. I have been depending on charcoal burning business to meet the basic needs of my family. However, due to the persistent drought in our village, charcoal burning is not easy as all trees have been cut down because everyone is doing this business as it is the only means for survival. In a month, I can only make a profit of 5000 KES which is not enough for my basic needs and those of my children. My ambition has been to see my children finish secondary school and join college so that they can get jobs and be independent and take care of me in future. However, this is almost becoming impossible due to lack of enough money. Upon receiving this cash transfer, I will be able to buy twelve goats that will coat 24000 KES which I will keep and sell when they multiply and educate my children. I will then use the remaining amount to clear the school fee balances for my children and meet other basic needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last month, one of my sons sent me 4000 KES to pay for my children in school. This brought joy in my heart as I felt relieved of the fee balance of KES 3500 I had for my daughter in secondary school. In the same month, I received aid in form of food from the government in response to the drought and hunger facing our village. I received four kilograms of rice and four kilograms of beans. At least for four days, my family was assured of food. This relieved me a lot of stresses that I was going through in my mind especially on food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a stable source of income is the main challenge that I am currently facing. Have you imagined being a widow with children in school and y having no stable source of getting money to educate them? This is the situation that I am in right now. My main economic activity that has helped me put food on the table is charcoal burning. However, my worry is that soon, there will be no more tree trunks to dig for charcoal burning leave alone trees. In a month I can only make a profit of 5000 KES. This amount is not sufficient to meet the needs of my family. The cash transfers will be a stepping stone for me and my family. I will purchase twelve goats which survive dry weather conditions and keep them and sell when they multiply as an investment for my children's education.
