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 ($517 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Some months before GiveDirectly came , I was worried of my son's education and at time I shaded tears because I had no hopes that my child who get to join secondary school any time soon . This is because my husband who is the bread winner's income is always meager that can barely meet all the family's needs hence it has always been a struggle in terms of paying school fees for him meaning he has always been in and off school . I am happy and peaceful since I am certain that next year my son would enroll in secondary school with GiveDirectly's transfer . Personally, GiveDirectly has made a big difference that at time I lack words to express .
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion , GiveDirectly did well by giving out phones at enrollment since majority lacked . Having phones for beneficiaries mitigated loss of transfers to many of the beneficiaries and also made communication with the agent through GiveDirectly's office easier when they needs assistance of any kind in relations to GiveDirectly's transfers. I do not see where GiveDirectly's did not do well at its works.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying a dairy cow 20,000 KES . For the past years we have been spending up to our last coin buying milk therefore I felt the need of acquiring one so as to make better the situation since in future the surplus milk shall out source an extra income when I sale. The remaining amount I have saved to enroll my son who completed his primary school exams and pass excellently to secondary school early next year.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The fact that I now have my own dairy cows my life has totally changed. With the two dairy cows, I am assured of getting plenty of milk that I will use for my family consumption and sell the rest. Initially, I used to buy milk from friends which were very costly and I could not afford it most of the time. I am now a happy mother because my children will be getting milk which will boost them health-wise. In addition to that, I will sell the few liters to my friends which will generate more income. The money that I will be collecting from this business will help me in catering to my family's basic needs with ease. With time the cows will multiply hence making me wealthier.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was exactly 3:52 am when I heard my phone vibrating. I was awake breastfeeding my baby. I quickly decided to check its content because it was unusual to get a message during that hour. I was so excited to realize it was an Mpesa message. Give Directly had sent me my first transfers. I remember dancing that night with my baby in my arms. It was a bit awkward considering it was still very early but I couldn't contain my joy after receiving the good news
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying two dairy cows. I have been dreaming to own a few livestock for so long but since they were expensive I could not afford to buy them. I bought them after getting transfers from Give Directly. I then cleared school fees for my children to enable them to continue with their studies. There was a high chance that they could have missed their end year exams. They were always forced to repeat the same class yearly because they were always missed to sit for their end year exams. I am glad I didn't let them down this time round. I then bought a few water tanks which will help me in harvesting rain water. Our dams are very far from the village, therefore, the tanks will save me from the hustle of walking for long hours carrying heavy jerrycans of water. I used the remaining amount of money to buy enough foodstuffs for my family that would take us to the next harvesting season.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Expanding my farm has been my greatest desire in life since I depend most on farming. This wish has been met with a lot of challenges when it comes to land preparation, I always get hard times in hiring oxen due to the high demand and also the expense of paying the fee. My plan was to buy my own oxen and ox plow that I can use during land preparation season. This will help me to avoid rushing since I will be preparing my farm in time something that will give me enough produce. I will also be hiring my oxen to others on fee and this will earn me income to sustain my family's basic needs. Therefore, this is basically what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The evening is the happiest part of my day since I get enough time to relax from the tiresome day's activities. My morning and afternoon hours are so exhaustive since I usually do the household chores, Like fetching water, collecting firewood and cooking for the family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I was married as a housewife to my husband whose work is to vend water, a job which earns him at most 2 dollars per day. Considering my family size of four members, this earning is a peanut since it cannot fully sustain our needs and sometimes, we are forced to skip our meals. Therefore, I consider the lack of a reliable source of income as my biggest hardship.
