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
53010 KES ($382 USD)
access_time 11 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I ventured into agriculture with the hope of creating a sustainable food source for the family. I have been buying maize and currently maize goes for about $15 per 2kg which is financially unbearable since I make about $5 to $7 a day and I would get jobs at least thrice a week which was not sufficient. I now am not worried about this since I have planted maize and I hope once I harvest I will have enough food to last my family a couple of months before I can again plan and harvest.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I really cannot complain about the GD process. I liked how you handled the whole process. It was so easy and the staff were very respectful. I also like that I was raised from one level to another by receiving this transfers. I cannot thank Givedirectly enough for this help.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used my money mainly for agricultural purposes and to improve my house. I have been doing casual labour in people’s farms as a farm hand and that gave me hands on skills for farming which I thought I could use to produce food for my family. I had a heifer which at the time had not been producing milk yet and I thought it wise to add another which already was producing milk and I spent $350 to buy a dairy cow that had just had a calf. I also bought seeds and paid people to till my land where I planted maize and beans. I also got a chance to put a ceiling in the house which I had built with my first transfers and bought chairs for the home.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($412 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember being at work, fully engaged in my daily tasks when I received the transfer notification on my phone. The moment I read the message from GiveDirectly, I was filled with immense joy because I knew that I could now pursue my aspirations. Excitedly, I shared the good news with my wife, who was equally relieved and grateful. Together, we began to plan for the future with renewed hope and optimism.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Thanks to the financial assistance I received, the most significant change in my daily life is that I was able to construct a separate kitchen house. Previously, financial constraints had made it impossible for me to undertake this project. I am incredibly grateful for this gift, as it has transformed my life for the better.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My top priority was to build a separate kitchen house since the current living arrangement was not healthy for me and my family. Our house doubled as the main living area and the kitchen, causing smoke from the fireplace to circulate throughout the house. However, due to the lack of a reliable source of income, I had been unable to undertake this project until I received the transfer from GiveDirectly. With the funds, I spent approximately $110 on constructing a new kitchen house. Subsequently, I purchased seats and bedding for $140 and paid for my child's school fees with the remaining amount. I am grateful for the support that has greatly improved my standard of living.
Enrolled
access_time 1 year ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
We are a young family struggling to make ends meet. This transfers will boost us a great deal in establishing a livelihood that will better our lives. We have always wanted to start dairy farming but it has just remained to be a dream because of lack of finance. We do not have milk and we are forced to buy a little for our family, just a cup at $ 0.3 for preparing morning tea. We intend to purchase a dairy cow so as to be able to produce milk for household consumption and sell the surplus to earn a disposable income. We intend to use $ 350 to purchase the cow and use the rest to build another house.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last year November we were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Sheilin. She is our first born and she has given another meaning to our young family. We were so thrilled about the blessings, she has brought warmth and joy to our family.God has brought favour to our family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is a major problem that has caused us untold pain. We are people of little means who depend on casual jobs which are erratic and hard to come by. The situation, therefore, makes it hard for us to put food on the table and some days we go to bed on an empty stomach. Recently there was an outbreak of fall armyworms that ravaged our maize crops and exposed us to the food insecurity we are currently faced with. We are therefore forced to buy the rare commodity at a nearby Kapkwen market at high prices of $ 2 Per Kg which we struggle to afford because we do not have a sustainable income-generating activity. Life has indeed taken a bad trajectory from bad to worse, it worries us a lot, and we do not have hope to face the next day since the cost of living has gone high almost threefold.
