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 ($442 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?
Buying a parcel of land is my new goal. This is because the land that I occupy at the moment is small. Therefore, I plan on realising this goal through savings from my husband's monthly salary.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Relocating from my family land to my place is the greatest achievement in my life. All this has been made possible because of the support that we got. In my opinion, GiveDirectly did amazing work in uplifting our lives. We all received the unconditional transfer right on time, thus we are grateful for the support that empowered us financially. So far I have not witnessed any irregularities in GiveDirectly work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a farmer and my husband works at a tea factory in the neighbouring country. Together we are blessed with three children. Building a decent kitchen had been my dream for a long time, though I never had the resources at hand. This made it difficult to achieve that goal. Upon receiving my second transfer, I decided to spend it on building the kitchen where I used KES 25,000. I then bought a dairy cow worth KES 15,000 and lastly, used the remaining amount on clothes and foodstuffs. I am grateful for the support that amazingly lifted my living standards.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
On receiving the message and checking it up to confirm its content, I was very happy to realize that it was the transfer from GiveDirectly. I was not expecting it then, and at that moment, I was with my spouse and other members of the family. I showed them and they were equally excited. We had to align all the plans and withdrew the amount later at the nearby shopping center.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the instant support that brought a stop to the huge spending on foodstuff, right from the milk after buying a cow that produced enough to the availability of enough foodstuff that we are still using to date. I am glad that I am no longer spending much on these but saving instead to cater for other household goods.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With my family of five, having a dairy cow that could produce enough milk to sustain us throughout all seasons had been my dream. Before the receipt of the transfer, we had been rearing only one that was only prolific at its peak season - after calving down and drying up immediately the calf has been weaned. It was my household decision to add another dairy cow so that we could alternate their breeding seasons and ensure continuous milk production. With the first transfer, I spent KES 35000 on securing a good breed that has so far been producing enough milk for our household use. I also had an ongoing construction that needed a ceiling board and other parts of the windows that cost a total of KES 10000. I later spent the remaining amount on buying clothing for my three children, my spouse, and also mine at KES 5000 and used the remaining amount on foodstuff for my household.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will help me to complete building my new home. Two months ago, I demolished the one I lived in and relocated to my new farm. I will spend about KES 60,000 to establish my houses here. I will then spend the rest of the money on starting a small shop by the roadside since this new farm has access to a busy road where business can flourish.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last six months, moving to my new farm gives me a lot of joy and hope for a better life for my family. This is because, here, I have access to a road where I can do business and also its proximity to a water pan. I can do my subsistence farming more easily using simple irrigation, pumping water with a foot pump. This is new dawn emancipated by the cash I am about to receive when I spend it to buy a water pump.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Currently, I do not have any income. I only rely on subsistence farming but this does no provide me with all my household needs. If I start a shop business, I will be making profits that will enable me to buy other foodstuffs that I cannot grow. I will also use it to pay school fees for my children.
