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 ($444 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have other goals that I need to achieve, though at the moment I don't wasn't to dwell on them due to financial constraints, This is because I still have five children who are still schooling. Though God willing if I get funds I would think of purchasing a parcel of land and putting up my own business. Above all, I am satisfied with the milestones I have made so far.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly gave us unconditional transfer at the stipulated timelines. . Our social-economic status was lifted tremendously thus we are grateful. Both the young and the old were financially empowered equally without any form of discrimination In my Interaction with the staff, I have not witnessed anything that was not done well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
School fees have been the most pressing need that I have been having. At some point, I was forced to sell out all the cattle that I had. I was left to buy milk for our daily consumption which was expensive. I am into the animal trading business, I am married and so far I still have five children who are still under my care. Upon receiving my transfer, I thought of purchasing a dairy cow worth KES 25,000 to cut down on the cost of buying milk. I then used KES 15,000 on paying school fees for my children. and lastly, I used the remaining amount of my transfer on buying foodstuffs. I am relieved and grateful that I was able to accomplish a lot in a short time which I was unable to do due to financial constraints.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($482 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my transfer, I was busy at my workplace, suddenly I had my phone ringing, on confirming what the message was all about, I saw a text confirming that I had received money from GiveDirectly, it was the happiest thing that had happened to me that day, more so I had plans already in place on how I would spend my transfer, Indeed God had answered our prayer through GiveDirectly.
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 own a dairy cow, which I was unable to purchase before due to financial constraints, I have been able to accomplish my dreams in a short period, I no longer worry about buying milk daily, I am grateful to the organization for putting smiles in our faces and for transforming our living standard to a higher one.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am married and blessed with eight children, I work as a casual labourer in the village, when I received my transfer my top priority was for me to pay back a debt that had accumulated due to school fees arrears, therefore, I used KES 10,000 in offsetting the debts. I then used KES 25,000 in buying a dairy cow to save up on the cost of buying milk daily, where a litre sales at KES 45, I was unable to purchase a cow before due to financial constraints, In addition to that I bought sofa set seats at KES 8000 and lastly, I bought foodstuffs. I am thankful for the support that changed our living standards amazingly.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We sold all our cattle at the expense of our school-going children leaving us to struggle to make ends meet. We have now been buying 1 liter of milk for domestic use at KES 50 a liter per day which is expensive. That one liter of milk is not enough to sustain a family of 6. I am a casual worker in the village doing manual jobs ranging from fencing, digging, weeding, planting, to doing any other work to sustain my family. On average, I earn an estimated wage of KES 300 a day and that cash is unsustainable. I, therefore, intend to buy a dairy cow of approximately KES 30,000, and my projection is to milk at least 5 liters a day. Out of this, we will sell 3 liters and consume the rest and this relates to leading a healthy life which am proud of. Therefore receiving this money means having a healthy family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
None of my family members have fallen sick in the last 6 months and that is what has brought happiness to our lives. Since we are facing hard economic times and the coronavirus pandemic, I am happy that we are leading a healthy life as a family. We have something to thank God for as a family because we are languishing in poverty and we have no cash to meet medical expenses if the need arises.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial inadequacies are the major challenges we are currently facing. Initially, we used to harvest surplus maize for sale in our 2 acres of land. We used to harvest 30 bags and out of these, we could sell 15 bags and consume the rest. Life was not that tough because I could meet my bills without much struggle, unlike today where harvesting only 2 bags is an uphill task. Maize necrosis disease, high cost of living, and a prolonged period of drought have reduced crop production. I feel bored seeing our lands becoming extinct and no action is being taken by our government.
