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
access_time over 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The transfers from GiveDirectly allowed me to add an extra 3 acres to the existing 2 acres I already had. I procured 2 female goats, of whom one has been bred and given birth to twins already. My wife being a house manager in Mombasa and with me tilling the land and growing trees to sell, the $80 she earns as a salary, added to what I make still made it a struggle to cover school fees for our kids. As such, a chunk of the funds went to paying my 3rd born $8 a month tuition, my 4th born $6 a month and my 5th born $5 in tuition fees for their Grades 7, 5 and 3 attendance , respectively, at Mbonga Primary. Without the assistance of GiveDirectly it would have been impossible to meet these fees. At least nowadays when my wife visits every 3 months we have something to celebrate, thanks to the progress we have made,thanks to the GiveDirectly funds.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly swoop in and save the day when no one else will. The kids were out of school due to lack of fees and the job I was doing on the side circumcising the boys, as the elders had elected, was slow. As such, had it not been for GiveDirectly stepping in, I would have been unable to meet my responsibilities as a family. They allowed me to maintain my dignity as a partner in a relationship and as a parent.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am always excited at the prospect of one day possibly starting my own retail business selling food stuff. Flour, salt, cereals, toiletries, etc. I believe the extra cash would put me in a better position to secure my kids' futures.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES
access_time over 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first cash transfer on buying three goats at KES 9000. I have been longing to own them for quite a long time but I could not afford them because they were very expensive. I settled for them because they normally reproduce twice a year and this assures me of having many of them which a short time. Also, I bought a second-hand motorbike at KES 28000 which has been of help to me with my day-to-day activities. Being a social worker, moving from one village to the other has been a challenge and it's now a relief to me. With the remaining cash, I bought food and other household items for four my children.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have goats that I am keeping on my homestead. It has been my dream to own them but they were very expensive and I couldn't afford to purchase even one. I have been relying on temporary jobs to raise my four children. Being a single parent has been quite tough all along. I thought of having the goats would empower me to sort the bills ie school fees. That is when they reproduce and increase in number I will sell some and sort out all the payments. I am optimistic that in a few months to come I will no longer be undergoing the stress I have through, courtesy of GiveDirectly.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 4 PM while I was at my farm planting maize when I heard my phone vibrating. I was so nervous and quickly checked what the message was all about since I was not expecting to hear from anyone. Upon reading the content I realized that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I had finally received my first cash transfer as they had promised during the enrollment period. I felt so happy because it was my first time receiving such a huge amount of money. Also, I knew that I would achieve a lot through this financial support.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a stable source of income has been the major challenge that my family is facing. Imagine raising three girls alone without a source of income! This is the current situation that I am facing. My children needs to attend school, eat and dress well. However, meeting most of these needs like food has been a challenge and most of the time we are forced to skip a meal in a day or two which breaks my heart when pangs of hunger bite my children. My main economic activity is traditional male circumcision. However, due to lack of money to buy modern equipment, many people shy away from bringing their children for circumcision. This makes my life difficult because in a week I can only earn KES 1000. I intend to fix this by using KES 30000 to buy drugs and modern equipments so that parents can bring more children for circumcision. I with then use the remaining amount to buy ten goats which I will keep and sell as an investment for my children education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last two months my first daughter in-law delivered a bouncing baby boy. For the fist time my status changed from a father to a grandfather. I had longed for this title for quit some time because of the struggles I have had raising the children alone after my wife divorced me. It gives me joy to see that my family tree is growing though me and I take pride for being a responsible parent despite the challenges I have gone through in life.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a bachelor with a family of three girls. I separated with my wife ten years ago. Raising them alone has really been a challenge to me due to lack of jobs in the village. I have had a dream of becoming a trained urologist but unfortunately my parents did not afford to educate me due to poverty. However, I did not give up on my dream. I had a friend in the village who successfully went through school and is now a urologist. I volunteered to work for him for five years just to learn how he does circumcision and now I can do it perfectly like him. However, due to lack of resources, I always borrow money from people to buy drugs to carry out the circumcision which I return with an interest. The much I can make in a day or two is KES 500. This has made it difficult for me to plan myself and meet most of the basic needs of my children. Upon receiving this money I will use KES 30000 to buy drugs and other items. I will then use the remaining amount to invest in livestock farming.
