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 ($526 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have been hoping to build a nice and decent house to live in for long but due to the financial constraints I was facing, I could not fulfill this. The income I raise per day wasn't enough to cater for both household daily needs and construction of a new house. With GiveDirectly transfer, I managed to buy building materials which include iron sheets, nails, poles and bricks for this purpose. I am excited that soon I build a new house. I currently enjoy peace of mind since I no longer worry about how I will build a permanent house. This is a goal that it's possibility is seen. It gives me the biggest difference in my daily life.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly ids doing a great job. I am thankful for the support I received and I will urge them to continue to support the needy. GiveDirectly approach of carrying out its operation is fair and firm on their decision which made everything transparent.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I had been planning to build a new house but I could not out of scarce resources. I took KES37000 of my second transfer to buy building materials which include iron sheets, nails, poles in preparation for building a new house. I am happy that I am a step ahead towards realizing my goal to build a new house. I took KES7000 to buy two sacks of maize for my family consumption and this has made me glad since we currently have enough food to bush us next to the harvesting season. I spent another KES7000 on my family clothing and beddings to add to a few we had. I kept the remaining for my family's daily household support.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($541 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have bought a dairy cow. I used to buy milk from my neighbors and it was so costly for me. I depend on the casual jobs in the village and the amount of money that I get is so small and can only gather for basic needs. Currently, I no longer buy milk because I have a dairy cow. The cow gives me enough milk for my family use and I sell the surplus milk to earn an income to meet other needs including saving to pay part of the school fees for my children. I am so much happy that I have hope that My children would not be sent home to collect school fees like before. This was affecting their performance in school. I used to go for casual jobs in the morning and come back home at late night and this was denied me time to bond with my family but right now I have devoted half of my time on my own activities at home and this gives me chance to interact well with them.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my money I remember it was very early in the morning when I heard the message tone on my phone. Immediately I reached out to check it. To my full surprise, it was a message from GiveDirectly confirming that I have received a sum of 55000 KES. I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. I knew from that point that I will be in a position to buy a dairy cow to cut the daily cost of buying milk. My family members were so happy when I informed them about the good news.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to buy a dairy cow. I used to buy milk and it was costly for me. I also spent part of the transfer on sofa set seats, farm input, pay workers who cultivated my farm and the rest of the money I used it to buy food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Two years ago, one of my neighbours offered us one of his cattle so that we could take care of it due to scarcity of grass in his home. The dairy cow produces 3litres of milk daily which we then sell two litres at ksh 30 per litre and the remaining 1 litre is left for family consumption. Receiving this money will therefore enable us to buy this cow at Ksh 30,000 so that we can own it fully. My spouse and I also plan to build a more spacious kitchen with two rooms so that whenever we have visitors, the other extra room can serve as a bed room for them since we have on several occasions been forced to request our neighbours to host our visitors at night which is so humiliating.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My daily routine involves doing household chores the whole day as i take care of my two sons after my spouse has left for work. Seeing him back home safe in the evening gives me joy which marks this the happiest part of my day since it is the only time to bond as a family
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Poor harvests due to drought and unreliable rainfall patterns has been the biggest challenge we face in our family. We no longer depend on crop farming as an occupation like in the past, despite owning 2 acres of land. We have resolved to engage in dairy farming but poor climatic conditions have also led to poor milk production. My husband works as a security guard and the little amount he earns at the end of the month ( ksh 4000) can't sustain all the needs of our family.
