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 ($493 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 currently different than how it would have been had I not received the transfer because I have been able to build a spacious house for my family. Due to this, I am no longer afraid to receive any visitor as I know that they will have a place to sleep in comfortably. Also, I am now a proud owner of a dairy cow. I believe that it will be calving very soon and I will be able to earn some income through the sell of milk.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by uplifting the lives of people and I do not see anything that they do not well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I sent KES 15000 to my wife's parents so that they would use it to purchase a heifer. This is because I had not finished paying her dowry and it's a must in our culture for one to do so so that his wife can be legally recognized as his. Apart from this, I spent KES 4000 to pay for the construction of a spacious house for my family. I had bought all the necessary building materials using my first transfers but had not started building it due to insufficient funds. Also, I spent KES 5000 to clear school fee arrears for my children. I settled on this so that my they would not be sent back home. In addition to this, I used KES 15000 to buy food and other household provisions to last my family for some time. On the remaining amount, I bought new clothes for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment the I received the transfers was around six in the morning while my wife was milking the cow. I was very happy and headed straight to the milking parlour and from a distance she was surprised. On arrival I relayed the news and we were both excited.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is purchase of a heifer which I wanted to own for the past two years since I married but couldn't afford. This will act as a long term milk source and income source for my family. Building a l two roomed spacious house which can accommodate visitors is another big difference. Before when my in-laws came for sleep over visit, I would be forced to seek for accommodation in neighbor's houses because my house was a single tiny room which was a bedroom and kitchen at same time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent 450USD on building a two roomed 24 Iron roofed house because initially I had a single roomed house which was a bedroom and kitchen at the same time. 100USD on a heifer because I initially used to rely on my parent's cows for milk.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money would mean a lot to me because it would change the face of my family. I live in a tiny house where we cook and sleep. I also keep chicken which spends the night in the very same house. The smoke that emanates from the firewood that we cook with gives us so much irritation. This makes my child cough repeatedly thus affecting her sleep. Talk of the droppings from the chicken that always leave the whole house smelly and the cock that crows in the wee hours of the morning. This has brought me so much shame from my friends who come to visit me. If I get lucky to be enrolled, I plan to construct a better house that will change the face of my young family. I will use at least 30000 shillings for the same.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The evening is the happiest part of my day. This is so because I get to enjoy a meal with my family that is always accompanied by a good conversation on how to take the family forward. This is also the time I spend quality time with my daughter because I am always away during the day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced and still face has been providing for my family. I have a young child and that means she has to be provided a special diet to protect her from malnutrition. I spend a total of 600 shillings a month on buying milk for her. This is not easy considering that I depend on manual jobs to get this done. Foodstuffs are so expensive in this area because of persistent drought. That means we depend on food that is grown in other areas and then transported here. This is so expensive for some of us to afford.
