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 ($517 USD)
access_time over 4 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 it would have been if I never received GiveDirectly's transfer in that I have achieved my dream house which I have always yearned for years. I managed to construct a semi-permanent one with the transfer. Its an honor to stay in a clean environment and my children are healthy since I have prevented most of the diseases related to dust which they would get predisposed to before. Thanks to GiveDirectly for promoting my household hygiene.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, the fact that the grant issued by Give Directly is unconditional makes it so unique. One can use the money how best they feel without restrictions.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my recent transfers, I bought a cow at Kes 17,000 because I had always dreamt of having one but I never knew it was coming this soon. The remaining amount I spent in the construction of our family house. This had been a pending project due to the lack of resources but finally, it came to fruition. We managed to purchase building materials and we constructions are underway.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($531 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Having my own dairy cow and the goats has made my life to be very different. I am always ambitious and happy. The hope that I will soon start getting milk from my livestock makes me happy. My children will be healthier and also I will earn more by selling remaining liters to the local markets. Initially, it was hard for me to take milk since it was costly and very rare to get since there were few people owning dairy cows in my village. I plan to sell offsprings of the goats since they reproduce faster. This will help me to pay school fees for my children who had dropped out of school due to a huge school fee balance. To add to that, the money that I will be getting from the sale of milk will boost my standards of living. This will be my additional income making me wealthier. From that point, I believe my life will now be the same again.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 3 am when I was breastfeeding my child. Then I heard my phone vibrating, I was a bit nervous and skeptical because it was awkward to receive a message at that hour. I decided to check its content and realized it was an Mpesa message from GD. At first, I could not believe it was true. Initially, I thought this whole idea was a scam. I mean who gives out free money in this era. So I started doubting this organization from the enrollment stage. I thought it was a scam from the experience I had with the previous NGOs
What did you spend your first transfer on?
Since I had a small and leaking house I spent part of my first transfer on buying some pieces of iron sheets, building poles, timber and nails. I then bought a dairy cow and some goats. I decided to buy them because they are always valued and treasured in our community. I have always wanted to own at least one for a long period of time. I highly value the cow, and I plan to start a business of selling the milk and sell the offspring once they mature. In addition to that I also bought new clothes for my family and I. I then cleared school fees for my children so that they can study without being interrupted. I spent the remaining amount of money to buy enough foodstuff. This has enabled us to eat well-balanced meals three times a day.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
To me, education is the best thing any parent can give to his/her child. This is something that I never got because, at that time, my parents didn't lay much emphasis on it. And as a result, am struggling with odd jobs to make ends meet. I now understand the benefits of education and what it means when a child is not put through education. This transfers came at the time when I was in deep thoughts on where I will get my son's school fee come next year when he will be joining his secondary level. It is, therefore, a sign of relief knowing that school fee for my children will never be a problem in the near future. And to further this good gesture from Give Directly, I plan to invest part of my transfers in livestock. I believe this is a safer way to invest because livestock rearing is highly practiced in this region due to favorable climatic conditions. Apart from that, I intend to construct a spacious house for the family. The one we are currently living in is small and cannot accommodate all of us. And that is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening has always been the happiest part of my day. This is the time when I spend quality time with my family having spent the better part of the day away from each other. Normally, I am left alone at home to attend to household chores, while children go to school. My mornings entails a lot of work here and there. From grazing livestock to drawing water kilometers away. It is a tiresome exercise and am always longing for the evening part so that I can rest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I've faced in life is a lack of adequate income to sustain the needs of the family. Currently, I do not have any sustainable source of income myself and I solely rely on my spouse who is a chef in one of the local bars in Bamba center. And given the nature of his work and the customer base in there, his income is paltry. Sometimes, I engage in odd jobs to help with other pressing needs of the family. Receiving this money will help us to at least start our own income-generating activities. My husband being a chef will use his vast skills to open up and run a small hotel in Bamba. This will see us earn a daily income that can comfortably educate and feed the family.
