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 ($440 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 do not have any new goals now, I will start horticultural farming when my knee is healed. This will enable me to get enough food for the family and even sell the surplus to earn an income to meet other basic household needs.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well in that it has enabled most of the people in our community to pay school fees for their children in various schools. This made them study well without being sent home like before. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well since the training and the enrollment were well done.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 12,000 on purchasing two dairy goats. This was my main focus since I used to milk daily and this was so costly for me. I could spend KES 50 per day on milk daily. Since I do not have a steady source of income this was so costly for me, sometimes when I do not have the money I would go without milk. Currently, I get one liter of milk daily from my two goats and this has enabled me to cut the daily cost of buying milk. I am so grateful because I no longer struggle like I used to do before. Besides that, I spent KES 13,000 on purchasing two sacks of maize. This is because we did not have much in store during that time. We were able to eat well unlike before when we could struggle on getting some money to buy maize. I repaid a debt of KES 25,000 I had borrowed from a family friend to pay for my hospital medical bill. I accidentally fell down and injured my knee when I was coming home from the river. Currently, I am feeling well and I am so happy that I have paid back the money. The rest of the money I spent on clothes and household items that we were missing. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has improved our living standard.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($470 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 10 am I was taking my breakfast when I heard a message notification from my phone. When I checked it out I could not believe my eyes. It was a message confirming that I have received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and immediately informed my close family members. It was one of the happiest days we have ever had. I knew I would be able to buy a dairy cow. This was my main concern because I used to buy milk daily and it was so costly for me. I am so grateful for the support. I went and withdrew the money the same day and started to plan on how to spend it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is purchasing a dairy cow. This is because I used to buy milk daily and this was so costly for me. I do not have a continuous source of income. I depend on small businesses and farming as my main source of income. This could earn me a small income and I was not in a position to purchase a dairy cow. Whenever I had no money my children would go without milk and this was so demoralizing. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I felt so happy and my priority was purchasing a dairy cow. Currently, I have enough milk for the family and I no longer get worried like before. I can save the money that I would have used to buy milk on other household items. I sell the extra milk to earn an income for my family. GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend KES 28,000 on purchasing a dairy cow. This was my main priority since I used to buy milk and it was so costly for me. Currently, I have enough milk for the family and I no longer get worried like before. I spend KES 7,500 on a goat. This is the best investment I will sell when it has multiplied in the future to buy a dairy cow. I spend KES 5,000 on purchasing sofa set seats and sky blast for storing clean water for domestic uses. For the rest of the money, I bought food and clothes for my children. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards to be much better than before.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I separated from my husband 5 years ago, ending up with him leaving our home, and has never come back. He left me with six children to raise on my own. I am the sole provider depending on subsistence farming as the main source of income. The much we get goes to meet daily needs. Five months ago, I have involved in a nasty accident that left me with a dislocated knee, which needed an operation to correct. I have been under medication since then. I plan to use KES 40,000 to clear pending medical bills. For the rest of the money, I plan to buy a dairy cow to supplement our income in the future. I will also buy walking crutches to help me walk as I heal. Receiving this money, therefore, means a restoration of my normal life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I got the accident, the doctor informed me that the chances of walking again were limited. Last month when I went for a check-up I was given the good news that the response was positive and will be able to walk again. This brought so much joy to me and my children.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The main challenge is financial constraints. After the accident five months ago, I cannot do anything on my own. I have been forced to sell the assets I had to raise money for medical bills and as well to meet our daily needs. At the moment we do not have any source of income to sustain the family needs and medication.
