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 ($497 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am so glad that at the moment we have a lactating cow and that we no longer spend money on buying milk for use at home. Without GiveDirectly, I believe this wouldn't be possible for me to have one anytime soon.
The clothes which I bought for myself and my children are so smart and we look good in it. At least now we have some new ones which we shall be wearing while attending occasion or church. I had no budget to buy some anytime soon as I was struggling with paying school fees and buying food.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did very well by selecting our village to be part of this amazing program. I am like the fact that it was not influenced by anyone for us to be supported. On the other hand, there was none which was not done well. The process was so fair and transparent.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The second transfers which I received from GiveDirectly enabled us to buy a dairy cow at at a cost of KES 35000. I was yearning to have one but I couldn't afford due to lack of money but now I am glad that I got one which is a great achievement for us. I then bought some furniture for our house, gumboots and clothes for our children. Lastly, I purchased some onions for planting and pay a debt of KES 3000.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was cooking lunch a few minutes to 1pm when I heard a message alert on my phone. Upon checking, I confirmed to have received the transfers and I started jubilated because I had never received such a lump sum. That day I was overwhelmed with joy until lost appetite for lunch and withdrew the same day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness because I have build a semi permanent house and there's abundance of food for my family which has made to grow healthier and happier. Since I was married 12 years ago, I had desired to build a better house but because of severe droughts which affects crop farming in our place my efforts were unfruitful. I am also happy because the transfers have enabled me to buy food in bulk which will sustain my family for a longer period.This is because initially we relied on casual labor to get food which would only last for a day. We also used to rely on farming for food but they are affected by the sunny season.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 35000 on building a 24 Iron roofed two roomd semi permanent house.This is because the previous one had become tiny because my family has been increasing each year.It was built 12 years ago and roofing grass is scarce commodity in our area because our region is marked by long dry spells. I also spent KES 6400 on two sacks of maize in order to ensure adequate food security because my maize stock was depleted. I also spent KES 2000 on household cooking utensils. I also spent KES 4000 on other food items like 25kgs of rice, sugar, cooking oil and washing bar soap. I also spent KES 5000 on latest clothing fashion, and second hand clothes which are more decent than the earlier ones. I also spent also spent KES 1200 on school uniforms.I also spent KES 800 on onions because onion farming it's a very good source of income in our place but the prices keep fluctuating. I have also saved the rest for school emergencies.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My children are very young and my house has a leaking roof. Whenever it rains, the house becomes very cold and sometimes our beddings get socked. This has really affected my children's health because I cant afford to buy iron sheets to fix my roof. The land where I built this house also has a high water table and every time during the rainy season ground water fills the fireplace thus making lighting fire for cooking food difficult and sometimes we end up sleeping hungry and cold because the fire can't light. This money will help me build a new decent house with a cemented fireplace to prevent ground water from rising during the wet season. My children also will sleep happily and warm.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I have woken up. I am a farmer who works in the farm the whole day and I am usually happy to have a new day to myself because I know it's another opportunity to work and produce more.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced is my housing. This house we currently have has really made our lives hard since we spend a lot of time fixing it but since it wasn't built well and on a good ground so we mostly end up being disappointed. The number of times our children have needed medical attention for catching cold is uncountable. This affects our finances and we usually struggle with odd jobs to make ends meet.
