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 ($520 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own a pair of oxen that I acquired through the transfers I received from GiveDirectly. They will help me with my farming activities. I feel they are more effective than hiring labor because they take fewer days to plough an acre. This means I will get a bumper harvest because of the increased acreage of land tilled. Previously I used to get little harvests because I couldn't hire labor. I am glad this will not be the case anymore. Apart from that, I will also earn more income by hiring the oxen to my neighbors. I like how I have been able to diversify my sources of income with the help I got form Give Directly.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly has done well by giving out transfers to improve the living standards of the poorest individuals in the village. This is because the majority of us in my village now own livestock such as dairy cows, oxen, goats, and sheep. The dairy cows will produce hence cutting on the costs of buying milk. We can also sell some liters in order to buy other basic needs such as food. With the oxen, they will be helping us in ploughing our farms. For this reason, we are assured of getting some good harvests from our farms. Previously we used to till by ourselves which was tiresome and we used to get low harvests since we could not till many acres by ourselves. We can decide to sell any of these animals in times of emergencies. According to me, Give Directly plan to give cash transfers is the best decision. I have not seen any negative action they have done so far.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying a pair of oxen at KES 30000. I have always wanted to buy it but kept postponing because of my low wage income from casual jobs. I also bought an ox plough at KES 8000. I later bought four healthy goats worth KES 12500. My hope is that they will grow and reproduce as soon as possible. They normally reproduce twice a year that is why I bought them in the first place. I spent the remaining amount on foodstuffs. I bought enough food that would last us for a while. We now are now able to afford three meals a day unlike before when we only take one in a day. As a result of this, our health has improved greatly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($544 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own livestock in my home through the financial support I received from GiveDirectly. The livestock will reproduce and increase in number and my expectations are to have more of them. In case of any financial needs in future, then I have something to depend on and sort me out. Owning this livestock is now the biggest of my achievements in life so far.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I saw the transfer notification from GiveDirectly early in the morning. My helper checked in my inbox and confirmed that my transfer had finally had been sent to my Mpesa account. I was overjoyed for the transfer and thankful to God and to GiveDirectly for the financial help. This money really meant a lot in my life since I knew that I would be able to achieve a lot of things using them.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of the first transfer to purchase livestock which includes a cow and four goats to keep as assets in my home. Previously I had none of these though I had desired to at least have them. I am happy that through the coming of GiveDirectly into our village, I was able to achieve and fulfil this desire. This livestock will reproduce and increase in number and have many of them. Besides them being assets, I will also benefit from the milk that the cow will be producing. I will no longer be buying milk elsewhere and it will save me the money I would otherwise use in buying it. The goats can sort me out in case of any future financial needs. I also paid a portion of the transfer as dowry for my son because he was facing financial challenges and could not fulfil his bride price and I had to help him out. I also bought a new wooden bed to replace the traditional bed which I had been using and was worn out. I spent the rest of the transfer on buying food for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Farming is quite unreliable in my area due to poor rainfall. It being the main source of livelihood, I have to do it besides other casual jobs such as weaving ropes in order to fend for my family. My great ambition is to make my family food secure and I can only achieve this by scaling up farming. Therefore, I will purchase oxen that I will use in my farm and also hire them at a fee. Apart from food security, I will also generate income that will cater for other needs such as food, education, medical and clothing. Therefore, this transfer means that my family will attain a decent standard of living.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have had dry cough since I was a teen. This condition worsens mostly during the day when I engage in manual jobs. This is because I inhale a lot of dust and also use a lot of energy in these activities. It makes my nights unbearable as I hardly sleep due to constant coughing. However, I do not experience it in the morning and I feel relieved. Therefore, I can say morning is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband is too old to work and he has left the responsibility of raising the children to us. My co-wife and I rely mostly on casual jobs such as burning charcoal and weaving. Such jobs do not provide a stable income and it is almost impossible to provide basic needs for our children. In this regard, we are unable to provide enough food and sometimes we are forced to stay hungry. Taking children to school is also a challenge as we cannot afford to raise the 200 shillings required to facilitate their education in a month. Life is quite unbearable and I consider financial constraint as the biggest hardship.