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 ($485 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have made a major step in life ever since I received my transfer. This is because I have been able to pay school fees for my children on time, purchased a dairy cow and built a more spacious house for my family. Due to this, my children are no longer being sent home regularly to collect fee arrears like before and in addition, they currently have enough time to study in the evening as they no longer have to leave home early going to sleep in our neighbors house as they now sleep at home. Also, my dairy cow is almost giving birth and I will have enough milk for our consumption and even sell the surplus at the market and use the money earned to pay school fees for my children.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by giving out financial aid to people in the community. People can in turn use this money to build better houses and pay school fees for their children. I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I operate a small business where I buy maize in our nearest market and sell them in my locality. The profits I get from this business is not enough to cater for our daily needs but I decided to keep on operating this business as it keeps me busy most of the time and I also believe that half a bread is better than none. When I received my transfer, I spent $300 to purchase a dairy cow. I used to buy milk daily and it was expensive to me as I had to spend $ 1 daily on them. Apart from the income that I will be getting from the sale of surplus, I can easily sell the calf and use the money in paying school fees for my children. Also, I spent $27 in food and other household necessities. I still have $200 that I am planning to use in paying school fees for my children next term. Before then, I am planning to use it to expand my business by buying maize in bulk rather than buying half a sack every week. With this, I will be able to buy them at a more cheaper price.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($510 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The excitement I had on receiving the transfer was immeasurable. I was also filled with joy which rejuvenated my hope of making it up to my children who had been living in poor housing with ragged clothes. Their bedding has never been good as the sheets I dispose of after buying new ones. Everyone was so happy after acknowledging the receipt as this was a complete turn of events for the household.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Completion of a new three-roomed house that had been on a halt for almost a year is the biggest difference in my daily life. I could not wait to move in after completion as I had been working hard to see the project completed. Currently, my kids are sleeping on new bedding in their room where they can find a conducive environment to read as well. I am also glad that I made to pay their school fees, and for the first time, they are ending a full term in school without them being sent home as it used to be.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the first transfer, 30000KES went to the construction of a new house. This was to replace the old hut we had been living in for the past 10 years now. It was leaking on the roof in the rainy seasons, and the dusty floor has never been good for my children who had been spreading their bedding on the floor every night. I also managed to clear school fees for kids with 5000KES, and the remaining amount on buying them clothing and foodstuff.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that our children shall have ample study time since we will pay their fees on time. Our firstborn is joining Grade 11 while the second one is joining Grade 9. Unfortunately, we have no reliable source of income or any savings to fund their studies. We have been struggling to pay fees for the firstborn, at times we could delay raising the needed amounts. Such delays could force the school administration to send our child home to collect arrears, a practice that disrupts her studies. To make things more difficult, our second born is joining secondary school soon. We greatly thank GiveDirectly since we will afford to pay fees for both children on time.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Each day I wake up early to handle my household chores and some farming tasks on my compound. Later on, I would go do some farming activities on my neighbors' farms at a fee. Hence, the happiest part of my day is in the evening when I am returning home from my casual job with some funds for educating our children and doing some developmental projects.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
At times we are forced to handle some tiresome farming tasks such as weeding farms for our neighbors in an attempt to raise school fees for our children. Unfortunately, the high scarcity of such jobs, as well as poor remunerations, act as the biggest hardship we are facing because we cannot make any savings make savings. At times we use the little we get on purchasing other basic needs rather than paying school fees for our children because we have no other source of income.
