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?
The new goal that I have now is to gather some money to go for medication. I have an eye problem and I wish to visit the hospital for a check-up an eye treatment soon.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to improve their living standard. Most of the people have built a better house and some have started various businesses. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 35,000 on purchasing a dairy cow. This was my main focus since I have been buying milk daily and this has been so costly for me. I do not have a stable source of income and I have been struggling with that. Currently, I have enough milk for the family and I no longer worry like before. Apart from that, I spent KES 11,000 on purchasing a water tank for storing clean water for domestic use. I used to go for a long distances to collect water and this was time-consuming and tedious. The remaining amount of money I spent on food and household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
At the moment I received the transfer, I was still home with my son who helped me in checking the message after receiving the notification. On confirmation, I was so happy that the house I had put on a halt for a long time will finally be completed. I had all plans in place but had to see my house roofed and new furniture brought in first before moving to the next project. This was the agreement we had made with my last born son that I am still staying with after the elder ones moved out to start their own families.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the completion of the construction work that I had been struggling with for over a year. This has relieved me of the stress I had on the old house that kept getting worse especially during the rainy seasons as it used to leak a lot and could not accommodate an extra visitor since I never had decent sleeping materials and was also not spacious enough.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The first transfer came when I really needed it most. I had been struggling with the construction of a new house that initially needed a total of 24 iron sheets. I had already obtained 21 iron sheets that after using on roofing, one side was left open that still needed 3 iron sheets. I had been working hard to accumulate some amount to obtain them but had not been possible due to other household demands. With this first transfer, that was the first call I answered after spending KES 3500 on iron sheets, and KES 3000 on paying the labor force. I also ensured that I purchased a new piece of furniture and bedding at KES 18000 as what I was using was already old and had to dispose of off to obtain new ones. Having been struggling with the scarcity of water, I had to obtain a large water tank at KES11000. This will be a good reservoir during the rainy season as I will be collecting rainwater from the roof. This will also cut the cost of buying clean water from the vendors as it has been costing me at least KES50 a day. I can now spend the saved amount on checking other household needs. With the remaining amount, I purchased two sacks of maize that have been keeping me with my only son going as we had been spending a lot buying frequently in smaller quantities.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will acquire a new source of income and food for my household. For a long time, I have been relying on crops, mainly maize and sweet potatoes. However, they often fail due to poor rains. It has never been sufficient for food in my household. Additionally, In this old age, I need to use milk in my daily meals since I have no appetite for vegetables and ugali alone. I will buy 2 heifers at about Kes 30,000 each when I get the money. I will serve them in turns so that I get at least 4 litres per day through out the year, providing bmw with enough for household consumption and also for sale too earn some income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My hapiest part of my day is in the evening, when I have completed my day's work sussesfully. Taking a rest after a long day in my small vegetable garden and tending to the goats and one cow, which are very tiring is always like a blessing. I enjoy lying down in bed ready to sleep after accomplishing everyday activities.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
With my old age, I am developing an eye problem that may lead to blindness if not checked early enough. Being that crop farming has been failing me, I cannot raise any money to seek eye care medication. I rely on my children who sometime fails to provide me as they also have their own families to cater for. This leaves me helpless.
