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 ($467 USD)
access_time over 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 at the moment. My goal is to continue struggling to get money for paying tuition fees for my son who is in his third year of studies at the University. I am casually employed at a farm in Narok county and I usually get paid KES 300 per day which they pay at the end of the month. This is the job that I usually depend on to get money for paying his tuition fees and for his upkeep. If I manage to complete paying for his university fees, I will have a chance to start making plans of buying land so that I can relocate since I am still living at my parents' home.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well because, with the transfer that they gave people, they changed their lives for the better. Those who did not have houses managed to construct them. Those who did not have livestock bought them and others used them to pay school fees. How they conduct their work is good, there is nothing that I feel that they should change.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the transfer money on paying the tuition fees for my son who is in the university. I sent him KES 15000 so that he could make the payment. I then bought trees and I cut them down at a total cost of KES 20000. I wanted building poles that I plan to use in building a sleeping house for my son. The house that he is sleeping in is not his, it is his uncle's. I hence saw it best to make plans of building him one. I was not able to do this before because I was still struggling with building my house. Apart from the above, I also bought two goats at a total cost of KES 12000. I decided to buy the goats because I wanted to save some money by investing. The goats are going to help me in the future when they will have multiplied with the children's school fees. With the remaining amount that I was left with, I used it in buying food and paying school fees for my other three children who are in primary school. I am so much grateful to GiveDirectly for the help because my son was able to study well after I paid for him the university fees. Thank you so much.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($492 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I work on a white man's farm as a casual laborer and when I received a message on my phone, I did not bother checking it since I was busy with work. I later checked its contents when I was on a lunch break and I became so happy on seeing that I had received the promised money. This money gave me hope that I would finally be able to clear this year's school fees for my son and he would be able to sit for his examinations.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
As a single parent, paying school fees for my children has been a challenge to me since I am a casual laborer and the money I usually earn is not enough to cater to our daily needs and still pay for their school fees on time. With the transfer, I was able to pay school fees for my son in the university and bought school uniforms for his siblings to replace the old ones which were torn and had patches everywhere. Being able to achieve this made me happy since I now have enough time to look for next year's fees and I am glad and grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me to achieve this.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 40000 to pay school fees for my son in the university upon receiving my transfer. I decided on this since paying for his fees on time had been a challenge to me since his younger siblings look up to me for everything and I do not earn so much. As a way of investing this money, I spent KES 7000 to buy two goats. I will be selling them when they have reproduced and increased in number and use the money in paying school fees for my children who are still in primary level in their education. Using the remaining KES 7000, I bought school uniforms for my children and food to last us for some time.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a single mother of three who works as a casual laborer at Olerai Farm. My firstborn son did well in his Secondary Education and joined Embu University in the year 2019. Due to his efforts, I have been doing my best as a parent to ensure that I pay his school fees on time. He requires KES 40000 per year and this has been a great struggle for me because my income is KES 6000 per month. Moreso my family allocated me a small piece of land enough to build my small hat and hence I do not have a place to cultivate. This money will enable me to complete a whole year fee for my son who is in his third year in University and I shall be able to save enough amount from my casual job to buy some dairy goats .
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning is the happiest part of my day .This is because I get a chance to do a casual job and earn some incomes to feed my family. I wake up at dawn and leave to Olerai Farm which is a 30 kilometers walk from my home , here I do weeding and harvesting of crops depending on the season.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial stability has been a challenge to me, I have heard to work as a casual laborer at Olerai where I earn KES 6000 since 2017. My son requires KES 3000 per month for rent and KES 4000 for food and personal needs. This money exceeds my income and therefore I have to take advance loans to finalize the school fees. Waking up as early as 5:00 am has become and coming home late at 7:00 pm has become the norm too. This is because I strive to meet the needs of my kids as well as give them a good life since there is no one else they look up to.