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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Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was already asleep when I heard my phone vibrating and ringing loudly, Upon checking my phone I saw a Mpesa notification showing that I had received money from GiveDirectly, this was the best news that we had received that night, My husband and I were overwhelmed with joy, we knew that we will be able to transform our lives positively.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My husband works at a local shop as a casual shopkeeper, on the other hand, I do sell vegetables within the village, our source of income is not stable due to so many responsibilities attached to us, we have six children at the moment, The biggest difference in our daily life today is that we managed to purchase a dairy cow with which we will get a surplus of milk to feed the children, I am so relieved because I will no longer spend money in buying milk daily.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I was promised the unconditional transfer, I knew that I would be able to transform my life, this was the golden opportunity that we would not take for granted, therefore upon receiving the transfer I bought a dairy cow worth KES 40,000 so that I would be able to cut down on the cost of buying milk daily, I then used KES 2000 in preparing my farm for the next planting season, Lastly, I bought foodstuffs with the remaining part of the transfer.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We have been relying on the single source of income from my husband for upkeep and I feel it is a burden to him. I was glad that GiveDirectly was coming to our village because I knew my husband's burden will be lessened. Therefore, receiving this money means having an alternative source of income as we will use the transfer in buying a dairy cow and we will be able to sell the milk. My husband is employed as a shopkeeper in the nearby town earning approximately KES 250 a day as a wage. This amount of cash is not sustainable for a family of 5. My projection is to spend approximately KES 35,000 to buy one and milk around 8 liters a day. Out of this, we will be able to sell 5 liters at KES 40 per liter and consume the rest. This will be a stepping stone in materialising our dream as a family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My son who is an upcoming artist was promoted by members of the village in the past 6 months and this has been my happiness. He used to go to events to entertain guests and village members saw the need to nurture his talent and realize his dreams. They organized a huge fundraiser and managed to raise KES 42,000 out of it. This made a big difference in his life because he is now self-dependent and he doing great in his talent. This has made me proud as a parent.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We are currently facing an acute maize necrosis disease which has been with us for almost 10 years now. We have 0.9 acres of land under cultivation and mostly we do crop rotation. One season we plant maize, and beans on the other, and all this is in vain. The reason behind this is when we grow maize and beans, it is either affected by maize necrosis disease and or a prolonged drought that has led our lands to be futile. We feel sad that our lands are no longer of any use and no solution has been carried out to curb this by our government.
