GiveDirectly: Send money directly to the extreme poor

2nd Payment

Transfer Amount

53150 KES ($511 USD)

over 5 years ago

How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?

My life has changed to some extent because IU was able to buy domestic animals which are now under my possession and I expect that they will be of financial benefit in the future because when I sell them out I will be able to make some profit.

In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?

I think that the organization has played a role in changing peoples lives because a number of the community members like myself were able to buy domestic animals while others built houses while other people used the money to pay school fees for their kids.

What did you spend your second transfer on?

I spent the money on buying two cows and nine goats which I will be rearing with the expectations that they will be of financial benefits to me in the future. I also paid school fees for my children because I really value their education so much. What remained after all the expenditures went into the purchase of food for the family.

Initial Payment

Transfer Amount

55000 KES ($548 USD)

almost 6 years ago

Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.

Owning the goats is the biggest difference in my life as at first I had none and now I am happy that I was able to buy seven of them which I am keeping as my assets and I am hoping that they will reproduce and increase in number and be able to cater for my financial needs.

Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?

I received the notification early in the morning as I was already up for my days chores. On checking to confirm where the message had come from, I was filled with happiness in my heart for I never expected in my life to earn such a large amount of money.

What did you spend your first transfer on?

I spent part of my transfer to buy seven goats that I can rear and keep as my assets. Apart from them being my assets, I know through them my children's education will be catered for in the future and in cases of financial constraints, then I will be able to sell some so as to get out of such crisis. In addition to the goats, I also bought a new bed and a mattress for my children since they were sleeping on old mats spread on the floor. I was not capable of improving their bedding but I am satisfied that they now enjoy a healthy and comfortable sleep. I paid a portion of the transfer to cater for my children's school arrears and now they are happily staying in school. They are no longer being sent home for school fees. On the remaining portion of the transfer, I bought enough food and clothing to cater for the basic necessities for my family.

Enrolled

6 years ago

What does receiving this money mean to you?

My husband works as a taxi driver in Mombasa. He earns very little and can only manage to send home 1000 shillings monthly. This money is not enough to cater for all the needs of my family such as food, clothing and education. Receiving this money therefore means I will be able to start an incoming generating activity to enable me get an extra income to sustain my family. I will buy two dairy cows, I will then sell the milk produced in Mariakani market where it will fetch a higher price.

What is the happiest part of your day?

The happiest part of my day is in the morning. I spend the whole morning doing farming. Working this hard gives me hope that I will get good harvest and be able to feed my children.

What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?

Lack of financial resources to take care of the basic needs of my family such as food, clothing and education has been my biggest hardship. My husband's job is not stable, he sometimes goes for days without work and this means unreliable income for the family. I do not have a job myself, i mostly depend on farming but for the past two years there has been inadequate rainfall hence poor harvest.