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 ($441 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?
I do not have any new goals now. I wish to focus on the farming that I usually do to ensure that I get enough food for the family. I will be in a position to get some income through the sales of surplus produces.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Most of the people who received the transfer were able to invest in dairy-keeping projects and this enabled them to cut the cost that they always incur, Besides that most of them were able to pay school fees for their children among other good things. This is what GiveDirectly does well giving money to the poor in the community to improve their standard of living. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not no well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 18,000 on purchasing a heifer. I will be able to get enough milk for the family and cut the daily cost of buying milk which is so expensive. I spent KES 13,000 on purchasing poles and fencing wire. I fenced all my farm and now it looks so decent. This has reduced the conflicts that I always had with my neighbor about cows destroying my crops. Besides that, I was able to plow my farm and buy seeds and fertilizers. I did planting at the right season and this made me happy since I always plant late due to a lack of money for seeds. The remaining amount of money I spend on food and household items. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home that morning with my helper when I received a notification message bearing the good news that I had received my first transfer. It was a great moment for me as I had been on the wait after making a complete list of all that I needed to spend the money on. We could not wait but to get ready immediately after confirmation, left the house to the nearby town, and after withdrawing, I purchased construction materials and the water tank. I was lucky that after such a purchase, the owner of the shop gave me free transportation of all that I had bought to my doorstep. I thanked God that I received this support and I am looking forward to seeing all the projects completed and even initiating new ones after the second transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the purchase of a large water tank currently useful in collecting and holding rainwater whenever it rains. This has drastically cut the cost of buying from the water vendors, and instead, I am currently using the saved amount on sorting other household needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Fetching water both for my household use and the livestock had been so hard that I have always been forced to either hire someone to take care of the livestock's water while I struggle to ensure that I have enough for my household. The rivers that we are all depending on are far out of the village, and since I have no means of transport to and from the river, I had been carrying a 20-liter pot on my back which is so exhausting. On receiving the transfer I saw it good to obtain a large plastic water tank at KES 20500 that will be collecting and reserving water during the rainy seasons. I also needed to demolish an old kitchen that I had been using for more than 10 years now. This needed 20 iron sheets, nails, and also some timber that cost KES20000 with the labor charges included. I am happy that the construction is now on after demolishing the old one. I also paid KES 5000 school fees for my only daughter currently in secondary school and used the remaining on buying foodstyuff for the household since we had exhausted the previous harvest.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My home is made up of a small grass thatched hut and a two roomed house made of iron sheets. The grass thatched hut has become very expensive to keep in good shape. Regular repairs requires me to find good thathching grass. This material is not easily available. On top of buying it, the cost of transport is quite high. Being that I rely on subsistence farming, I don't get enough money for all these repairs. But on receiving this money, I will spent about 500 USD to complete it. I will also buy a water tank so that I collect rain water for use in the household.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening. In most days, I work on my farm to either grow or weed some crops like vegetables, maize, and beans. Having completed the day's work in the evening, I rest knowing that my efforts will serve us well, that food crops for the next day or weeks have been worked on.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I face is food insecurity. I have enough land to grow food for the family but the crops always fail. Maize are always affected by a lethal necrosis disease, leaving us with almost nothing. We have to buy maize all the time and this is too expensive for me. The only money I get is from my husband who works as a security guard in a far away town. He sends us about 150 USD per month, not even enough just for food, let alone building a house.
