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?
The new goal that I have now is to start a business selling cereals. This will be my main source of income since currently I only focus on small-scale farming at home. I wish to save some money from the sales of my farm produce.
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 society to build better and spacious houses for their family, some have invested in dairy-keeping projects while others on paying school fees for their children in various schools. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent all the transfer on purchasing building materials. I was able to buy poles, iron sheets, and nails among other materials that were needed. I lived in a small grass thatched house which could not host all my family comfortably. The house was so old and it was leaking from the inside. This was so demoralizing. I had always wished to build a better house but I did not have the money. I am so grateful because now I own a better and more spacious house. We live so comfortably without any stress before. Besides that, we are no longer exposed to cold during the rainy season. My children are so happy because they have a room where they do assignments without being disturbed. GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was very excited when I first realized that I had received the first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was at home alone that morning and had to inform other family members of the good news. They were equally happy and plans plan to withdraw picked up and finally settled on the third day when we had aligned the whole spending plan.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is a heifer that I hope will grow to provide enough supply of milk for my family of four and even a surplus for sale in the future. The cost of buying milk from the neighborhood had been so high and this will be a relief in that I will sell the surplus instead of buying.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving the first transfer, I spent KES 25000 on buying a dairy heifer that has given me hope of a plentiful supply of milk for my family of four in the future. I had been buying milk at a high cost from the neighborhood and has been my prayer to get a cow that I would rear and milk instead of the daily expenses on milk. I also spent KES 9000 on buying two sacks of maize that we are using as foodstuff at the moment. In addition, I spent part of the remaining amount on clothing for my children and the last bit of it on household goods, including kitchenware and toiletries. I am grateful for the generous support from GiveDirectly and looking forward to another.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I shall be able to improve my vocational training skills in electrical technology. I have acquired skills in this technology through an apprenticeship with my father who has been doing it as a professional. I have however never been certified in this field because I have not taken any formal training. It is my desire therefore to use your transfers to acquire a formal training at a nearby community college for KES. 60,000 in a period of six months. I will also use the remaining amount to buy tools required for this work and register with our professional association. It has been hard to bid contracts without this formal and I have always been doing it through my father whom we must share the profits together. It is now a relief that am going to be working on my projects without any interference.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When this village was connected to the national electricity grid last year November I was priviledged to have the opportunity to run electricity cables in every household around. I was paid KES 10,000 for the work which lasted 3 days only and this made me so happy because I had never made such an amount of money in such a short time.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Since I have never been independent in my work, it has been so hard to have enough income which can sustain my family well. On average the monthly income is about KES. 3,000 which just enough for food only. The house am living in has a leaky roof which makes it inhabitable when it rains. I fear for the children's health also if it continues like this. The cost of food commodities also has been rising sharply over the past one month and it worries me that my income would not be able to take care of the food needs in the next few months.
