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 ($492 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been had I not received the transfer. This is because I have been able to pay dowry for my wife. Due to this, my relationship with her family has improved. Also, In was able to start a poultry project using part of my first transfer. Because of this, I am optimistic that I will be able to meet most of our needs on time when they start laying eggs.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out financial aid to people and I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I spent KES 45000 to purchase three heifers. We settled on this as a family so that I can use them to pay dowry for my spouse. This is because in our community, the relationship between my family and my wife's family is cemented with the payment of dowry and it is only after completing the payment that she can be considered to be my wife. I used the remaining amount to buy some chicken mash for my poultry and food for the family. I decided on this since I had other money to use in buying them.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($493 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was early in the morning and I was already up and on the farm tilling. As I was going about my work, I heard an SMS alert on my phone. I stopped working and decided to check it. I was so excited to see a Mpesa message saying that I had received the lump sum transfer from GiveDirectly just as promised. I immediately rushed back home and I informed my wife of the good news. She was so happy to hear this too. We celebrated together and thanked God for this. I then took breakfast and prepared myself to go and withdraw it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a big difference in my life and that of my family. I have been able to complete repaying the loan that I still owed the bank for the motorbike. I therefore no longer have stress about repaying the loan. The loan though, helped me in acquiring a motorbike of my own because before, I had been hired to ride someone else’s motorbike. Having finished repaying the loan, the money that I will hence be getting from the motorbike business will help me in other things such as buying food for the chickens. Thank you GiveDirectly for enabling me to fulfill my dreams. May God bless you.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The transfer from GiveDirectly has helped me in several ways. I wanted to start a project of rearing chicken. I hence bought a chicken wire that was placed all around the chicken house and I bought the chickens for rearing. I was inspired to start this project because I had seen someone else in my neighborhood doing it. The guy is doing so well in terms of the sale of the chicken products. The chickens are also easy to manage. The transfer also helped me in repaying the last installment of 10000/= of a loan that I still owed the bank. I had taken a loan to buy a motorbike for my business. I have been repaying it for quite some time and I was about to complete repaying it. I also took part of the money, 7000/=, and used it in repairing the motorbike and having it serviced. I also bought some chairs and tables, and with the remaining amount, I bought food for the chickens. I have always wanted to start the project of rearing chickens but due to lack of enough money, I have not been in a position to do so. I have been repaying the motorbike loan and it has been taking up a lot of money. I usually repay an amount of 9500/= every month and hence I usually end up with a little amount of money that is not enough to invest in any other thing. So when I got this money, I saw an opportunity that I had been waiting for and hence I decided to seize it.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I shall fully repay a loan that I have been struggling to settle because it has been giving me sleepless nights. I had secured a loan of Kenya shillings 95, 000 from a nearby financial firm. I used the money on purchasing a motorbike that I am currently using to offer taxi services in my vicinity. Unfortunately, returns from the motorbike business are inadequate for use in meeting our family's basic needs as well as repaying the loan.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I have managed to successfully repay the daily agreed amount of the pending loan that I am sufficing. This acts as a relief because I won't be penalized for default.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is the inability to own a cow. In our community, cattle are highly treasured livestock because they act as one of the backbones of our economy and source of milk for consumption. Since I have been struggling to repay a certain loan, I have never afforded to but a cow. Hence, my family spends significant amounts of money daily on purchasing milk that we always consume and utilize in making tea. Besides, my family finds itself as a substandard family unlike our neighbors who own cattle.
