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 ($467 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?
We do not have any new goals at the moment. We plan to struggle to get money for paying school fees for our children. We have one child who recently joined the secondary school and the other three are still in primary school. Getting money for the school fees is quite hard since we do not have stable sources of income but we are going to do what it takes to get it.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well by helping all the people in the village. They were not biased in the enrollment process and hence no one was left out. We are grateful. I do not see anything wrong with the way they conduct their work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent the second transfer money on paying school fees for our child who is in secondary school. We spent KES 20000 on making the payment and we managed to clear the academic year fee. We are happy that he has not been sent home due to arrears like before. He has hence had ample time to concentrate on his studies. We also bought three bags of maize for our consumption at a total cost of KES 15000. We usually incur a lot of costs buying food since maize plants do not usually do well in our area due to the prolonged dry season that we usually experience. The maize that we bought is still there. It has helped us in that we have cut down the costs of buying food. We have hence saved most of the money that we make from the casual jobs of farming. The money from the casual jobs has been helping us in buying food and making merry-go-round contributions to a self-help group that we are in. The lump sum amount from the merry-go-round contributions is what we usually use in paying school fees for the children. With the remaining amount of money, we used it buying clothes and we paid school fees for the children who are in primary school. The children are thus happy because of the new clothes and they have enough food to eat. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for the help.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($489 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Being a milk supplier,I had woken up early to go about my daily business.It was around 7am when I heard my phone vibrate and upon checking it was a confirmation of receipt of Ksh 55,000 from Givedirectly.I was overjoyed and I called my husband to inform him about the same and he was equally excited.We had been eagerly waiting for the cash transfer since we had already planned on what to spend on.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the relief of clearing schools fees for my daughter who is in form one.I felt it as an empowerment to the girl child since when she could be sent home she would really get demoralized and felt left out.Thank you Givedirectly for your support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With my four children currently in school, I had been struggling in clearing their school fees.Upon receiving this transfer,we prioritized spending Kshs.25,000 with my husband to clear school fees for the whole year for our daughter in form one and also paid for the three who are in primary for their PTA expenses.This has given all my children peace of mind to study and recap what they missed while away.With Kshs.20,000 I spent on buying some materials for completing a house we had built before receiving this transfer.We also considered purchasing clothes and foodstuff for the entire family
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean that my children get quality education. I have 5 children and my first born joined secondary school this year. Her school fees per year is KES 20,000 which is a struggle in paying. My other children are still in primary school but their school expenses combined and paid for means I don't get extra capital for other basic needs such as food. I hope to use KES 20,000 to pay school fees for a year for my first born and KES 5,000 for my other children school expenses. My house has not been completed and the roofing and floor is not cemented, I will use about KES 40,000 to finish construction of the house. The remaining amount of this money will aid my family in purchasing food and clothes.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day revolves around my homestead doing house chores. But I'm the happiest during lunch time from around 1-2 when my children are back home for lunch. They get to share how their morning in school has been and we bond as a family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face is drought, my family has been dependant on farming of maize for sustainability. In the previous years there has been drought and famine in our area, we would sell maize and pay for school fees but now we just use it for food in the house. My husband resonated to casual jobs and last year landed a job as an acting supervisor for a family member's road construction company and his income is only KES 8,000 per month. His income is not enough for school fees or providing sufficient food for the family.
