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 ($466 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?
Supplying maize and selling to the neighborhood this season after losing our crop production to the drought is a promising business that I am looking forward to investing in as a new goal. I have been working hard to ensure that I frequently save with the informal savings group that we started in the village and the Merry-go-round that I am hopeful will be helpful when my turn in the cycle comes. This will be a starting capital for me and hopefully, the business will be sustainable after.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Everything right from the start of operations by GiveDirectly was well done in my opinion. All the information that we were given in the initial meetings was accomplished within the timelines that we were given. I am glad that I was able to receive all I had been promised and spent according to the plans I had laid down with my family. I have nothing to complain about or wish it would have been done differently but am congratulating GiveDirectly for perfect delivery on their promises.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I invested the second transfer heavily on livestock with a projection of selling them out in the future to enable me to sort some household bills, school, fees for my children and also boost my business whenever I want to expand. With KES 15000, I was able to obtain three sheep each at KES 5000. I also obtained enough foodstuff for my family of five that included rice, beans, and dry maize grains at KES 5200 that we used for quite a long time before getting back to the market for more. With the remaining amount, I spent KES 6000 on clothing for the five household members and saved the remaining that we had been using in serving any emergency and also obtaining any household item that we could have exhausted or forgotten to buy in the first place.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($492 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I still remember when I saw the message notification. I was working on the farm, and at 11 a.m, I heard my phone beep. That's when I got curious and checked it. I was so happy when I saw that I had received the KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I finally had the money to buy a dairy cow, something I had wanted to do for a while now.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I feel so fortunate that receiving this transfer has enabled me to provide food for all five of us, in my family. Before, we could barely afford to meet our basic needs. I am unemployed, and there have no source of income. This has caused my family a lot of distress in the past. But that is no longer the case, thanks to this donation. We have bought a dairy cow that supplies us with enough milk, and save on the money we would spend on buying the same. We have also bought enough foodstuff and can have at least three meals a day. I'm so thankful to GD.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Until a few weeks ago, my family had to buy milk, at KES 40 a litre, every morning. Because I am unemployed and have no source of income, this was not financially sustainable for us. So I spent KES 40,000 on the purchase of a dairy cow that supplies us with milk. I then spent KES 5,000 on new clothes for my three children, to replace the old ones that were in terrible condition. Lastly, I spent KES 5,000 on buying maize so that we had enough food for the family. It's amazing how much this transfer has done for us.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
When I get this money I will buy a dairy cow. At the moment I have 2 bulls and mostly I rely on milk vendors selling 1 litre at KES 40. But due to insufficient money it's also a challenge to buy milk daily. We normally depend on casual jobs to get money for our needs and the little money we get sometimes is not sufficient to sustain all our needs. We also have food shortage due to persistent drought and diseases that has affected maize. We used to grow maize for both commercial and household use but since the arrival of the diseases we stopped growing them. So getting this money will go a long way in buying a cow and other foods. I will buy goats too. They will be source of income in future when we sell them. A goat is sold in the market at KES 6000 and i need two of them. My children also need clothes. It has been a while since I bought them new clothes. Most of their clothes have become old and torn
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning. This is the time when we have not had any disagreement. Disagreement mostly come during the day when I call my husband for money and does not have.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship we have faced is the arrival of maize disease. Maize was our cash crop, but now we are forced to buy even for household use and with insufficient money we get from casual jobs make the situation worse. Sometimes we are forced to go to bed hungry.
