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 ($443 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?
My new goal is to be able to buy a piece of land because I currently stay in a small piece of land. I stay in a very small piece of land and am unable to practice agriculture yet it is one of the main economic activity that we rely on in our area. Purchasing a piece of land will see us as a family be more stable financially and be in a good position to make ends meet as well.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well by first educating us on what is required before one uses money and the fact that they did not limit us on what we need to spend the money on. On the other hand I feel they should adjust their criteria to be more inclusive.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 29000 to buy a dairy cow and used another KES 18000 to pay school fees for my daughter who is in form three while the remaining amount was used to buy clothes for my children. Had I not received money from GiveDirectly I would not have paid the school fees in full yet. This is because I rely on motorcycle hustle to raise such money which would ha e taken me longer to accumulate just enough. I feel so much indebted to givedirectly fir the support. It has brought so much joy to our family as a whole.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($475 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9.30 am and I was feeding my dairy cow before I could go for my daily work when I received a message alert on my phone. I decided to check and know who would have sent me an SMS while hoping that it was a customer who needed my services. Upon realizing that it was a Mpesa message from GiveDirectly, my heart was filled with joy as I read it over and over again. I informed my family about it and they were equally overjoyed because of the good news.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
We used to feel so uncomfortable using our main house as a kitchen because of the soothe that would always make our clothes smell of smoke whenever we wore them. I have six children and the eldest four had to sleep at our neighbor's house. With the transfer, I have been able to construct a spacious kitchen that will serve as a bedroom for the ladies while the boys will use the current room that we use as a kitchen as their bedroom. Seeing the ongoing construction of our kitchen makes me and my family happy and we're grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling us to achieve this within a short time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We live in a three-room house and we had converted our children's room into a kitchen. Since I have six children, the remaining section could not be enough for them to sleep and due to this, four of them who were the eldest had to seek shelter at our neighbor's houses at night. Upon receiving my recent transfer, I spent KES 28000 to build a more spacious kitchen, KES 24000 on a dairy cow and used the remaining amount to buy school uniforms for my two children who did not have them. I own a motorcycle that I use to offer taxi services to earn an income that I can use in supporting my family. Currently, I am happy that I have been able to achieve what would have taken me a long time to achieve on my own and I give credit to GiveDirectly for this would not have been possible had it not been for them.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My firstborn daughter is a form one at Roborwo Secondary School and the second born will also join form one in May this year. Raising their school fees is not easy for a motorbike taxi rider like me. I desire to give my children the best education because I know it is the only way to their bright future. As a motorbike rider, I get KES 400-500 per day and I spend all of it in buying food for my family. When my firstborn was joining form one, villagers did a fundraising and I do not think they will do the same for my second born. I am happy that I have been enrolled and part of my transfer will be spent on paying school fees for my children. Receiving this transfer will enable my daughter to seamlessly transition from primary to secondary school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
This region is known to be dry throughout the year but in the last 6-months, it has been raining consistently. Last December, I harvested 2 sacks of beans thanks to the rain we have been receiving. I sold at the same at KES 10000 and this helped me pay for school fees for my children and this is one thing that has made me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have a family 8 and they entirely depend on me for food and clothing. I am a motorbike taxi rider who earns KES 400-500 per day and this cannot sufficiently cater for everything that my family needs. I spend approximately KES 600 per day to buy food such as sugar, vegetables, maize flour, and milk. My school-going daughters need to have things like sanitary pads and it makes me feel bad when they miss school because of essential items like those.
