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 ($463 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?
Previously I was living with my four children in an old house that I had to demolish after the construction of a new one with the first transfer. At the moment, I am happy that all I had planned to execute are complete, and am having a new goal to construct a new kitchen alongside another small structure that will be occupied by my two sons.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did and is still doing amazing work in the villages they are visiting. After being taught during the initial stages of the program details, everyone ensure that they addressed their household's challenges right after receiving their transfers. The spending patterns are diverse in our village, with many investing in livestock, others in construction, school fees payment for their children, and others managing to invest in businesses since they were given the freedom to make individual decisions. I am thankful for the revived hope and no complaint, after all, I have done within a very short time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of four with the youngest son whose father passed on while he was barely two months old is yet to start his pre-school classes. It is by God's grace that I had been able to bring them up alone, provide them with all their basic needs, and also ensured timely payment of their school fees. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for making this even better when I cleared all their pending arrears of KES 15000 with the second transfer. My daughter is currently doing her final examination in her 12th grade, and I am hopeful that she will pass to the next level as she has been doing well all along. I also attribute the ease in raising my children to the generous neighbor who gave me one of his dairy cows to keep as I save to buy mine. I had been getting enough milk for my family and a surplus to sell. I am happy that with the KES 35000 from the second transfer, I was able to obtain a dairy cow that has increased the production as we are now enjoying a plentiful supply not only for our household use but also surplus for sale.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
My two children who are in secondary school always attend evening studies at school and they usually get home few minutes past 9 pm. It was 9.45 pm when my children were taking super when I saw that GiveDirectly had sent the promised money. I became so happy and they were equally filled with joy when I informed them about the good news. This money gave me hope that I would finally fulfill my dreams of living in a more permanent house.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I always walk from door to door looking for some menial jobs to do around the neighborhood so that I can get money to fend for my family. We would at times skip lunch so that we can have something to eat during dinner as it is difficult going to bed while hungry. In addition, my children were constantly out of school despite them in a day school where school fees have been subsidized. With the transfer, I was able to pay their school fees and buy two sacks of maize. Due to this, I now live a stress-free life since my children are always at school and we have enough food.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was left with the responsibility of fending for my family after the death of my husband. Life has never been easy since two of my children are in secondary school, one is in primary, and the last born is yet to join. When I received my transfer, I spent KES 30000 from it in improving my house since I had already built a more spacious one made of timber walls. I bought some sand, gravel, cement and paid for the labor of cementing the floors. Also, I spent KES 10000 to pay school fees for my two children in secondary school since they were at home as they had been sent back to collect the fee arrears. I used the remaining KES 15000 on two sacks of maize and other foodstuffs to last us for some time.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means better housing for my family. During the Corona pandemic, schools closed and I had the children at home fully. This was somewhat a relief as I had to divert the finances to attend to other matters. Previously, I used to supply 5 litres of milk daily to school to cater for the school fees for my child in grade 12. Fortunately, I diverted the funds to construct a house. I could sell the 5 litres of milk to the vendors at KES 30 a litre daily. I accumulated a total of KES 10000 from the milk business in 3 months, which I used to construct the house I currently live in. However, this was not sufficient to complete the house as it only catered for labour. Luckily, I had trees in the compound that I used to produce timber to build the walls. These transfers will come in handy as I intend to use KES 40000 to complete the house. I will use the rest of the transfers to pay school fees for my 2 children in grade 7 and grade 10. I pay KES 13000 for school fees in a term for both children. My dream of living in a fully constructed house will come to pass.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have learnt to accept the reality of life being a widow and a breadwinner to my family of 5. I am a casual labourer who looks forward to a new day and when I see my children have some food to eat, this puts joy on my face. It is also a great relief to my family as the one cow I have, calved 1 day ago. This means an additional income for I will be able to sell the milk to the vendors and as a result pay school fees for my children. I smile for I see better education for them.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a widow who depends on casual jobs for a living. I cultivate peoples land in the village upon request. From this, I earn KES 200 a day which caters for school fees, food and clothing for my family of 5. As a backup, I sell 2litres of milk daily at KES 32 to the milk vendors. This is inadequate for school fees as I cannot accumulate enough to cater for the KES 13000 required per term for both children in grade 7 and grade 12. It has been my worry lately because I recently received a call to clear school fees for my child in grade 12 lest she will not attend classes. I fear for she might lag as the rest of her peers continue with the lessons. More so now that she is in her final year and she needs total concentration.
