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 ($436 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?
My ambition would be to purchase a parcel of land. I am optimistic that with hard work and determination I would be able to raise money from my business to realise this dream. Above all, I am grateful for the support that amazingly lifted my living standards.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am incredibly grateful for the assistance that enhanced the lives of the people in our community. Because I was able to realize my objective of owning a dairy cow that would bring in additional cash, it has significantly impacted my life. I haven't encountered any loophole in the program that needed to be corrected throughout my engagement with it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of three children, and I depend on my grocery business to fend for my family. Reducing the cost of buying milk daily has been my priority, though I did not have the money to purchase a dairy cow before due to financial constraints. Upon receiving my transfer, I opted to invest in a dairy cow worth $300. I used to buy two litres of milk at $1 daily, which was expensive. Thereafter, I paid a debt of $200 to settle on the remaining part of the land, which I had bought with my initial transfer. Receiving money from GiveDirectly has been a blessing in my life, thus I am grateful.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was a routine day for me where I had gone to the farm to tend to my crops, I depend on farming and casual jobs to earn a living, that was when I heard my phone ringing loudly, upon checking I saw a Mpesa notification confirming that I had received money from GiveDirectly, I was so happy and grateful to God for remembering me at a time of need, I knew that all the plans that I had would be realized and I could not stop smiling.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My life is different now, I never knew that I will be able to own a dairy cow before, this is because of the financial constraints and the little that I earned was used in other necessities, life as a single mother can be tough and overwhelming because they depend fully on me, I am grateful for the support that changed my living standard and that of my society.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of three children, I depend on farming and other casual jobs to earn a living, though it is not reliable because sometimes there are no available jobs. Therefore, when I received my transfer I thought of buying a dairy cow so that I could save up on the cost of buying milk daily .this is because a litre sells at KES 50, thus I used KES 35,000 in buying a dairy cow,l then used KES 2000 in paying school fees for my children who are still in primary school, lastly, I used the remaining part of the transfer in buying clothes and foodstuffs.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been worrying about the future of my family and how to educate my children as a single mother/parent without a reliable source of income. Specifically, I will start my business of trading second-hand clothes within our vicinity. Since I am the sole breadwinner for my family yet farming has proven unprofitable in our area, diversifying our source of livelihood is crucial. I will use approximately KES 40000 of the transfer on starting up the business. Also, I will spend about KES 35000 on purchasing another cow as an investment. Any remaining amount shall be used on improving our house since it looks tattered.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Four months ago, we harvested two sacs of maize in our 0.2 acres of land. Such a bumper harvest brought us joy as a family since we had enough food for about two months. Since the emergence of maize lethal necrosis disease and the prolonged period of droughts in our area, our maize crops usually get destroyed, leaving us with inadequate food in our household.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of food acts as one of the challenges we are currently facing as a family. The subsistence farming that we usually rely on for our livelihood has become unfruitful due to the emergence of tropical diseases and the adverse effects of climate change. Also, I have been struggling in vain to start up a business due to the absence of capital. As such, we have been leading a somehow pessimistic life.
