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.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($493 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Having a heifer that is almost calving down has been a dream come true for me. It has been a wish for a long time though it was never possible since saving up to 30000KES when other bills were piling up had never been possible. I am grateful that GiveDirectly came and made it possible for us to finally obtain a heifer which would not have been possible if O had never received the transfer.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, giving money directly to the recipient is the best decision made by GoveDirectly. We had received other smaller aid before but it was so hard for especially for the elderly to fairly receive it but with GiveDirectly, everyone who was enrolled received a timely transfer in their phones. On the other side, we were hoping that we would still receive more than the two promised transfers. This would have been a great favor to us and work well done for GiveDirectly since we still have plenty of projects to accomplish.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the second transfer, I spent 30000KES on buying a heifer. I needed one to rear as we had been buying milk for quite some time in our household which had been so costly and demanding with the inadequate resources. I also spent 10000KES on buying two sheep and the remaining amount on buying new clothes and enough foodstuff for my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was at 6am in the morning when I was preparing tea and I had left my phone on my bed. My neighbour asked me if I had received a text from GiveDirectly and I told her that I had not. When I went back to check my phone, I saw a message from GiveDirectly and I went to tell my husband who was also very happy.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I did not have a cow and the one that I bought is a future investment since once it calves, I will be able to milk and sell to my neighbours and make money that I will pay school fees and other basic needs for my family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a cow which I had always wanted to own. I also did not have seats and I bought 2 of them. I also bought 2 sheep and a bag of maize and clothes for my children.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
In our culture, a household without livestock is considered incomplete. A family's wealth is dependent on the number of animals one has. At the moment I do not have even one and this is greatly lowering my self-esteem in society. I am also inclined to keeping livestock more than anything else because it is something that I love so much. I want to start this journey by buying one dairy cow worth 30000 shillings. From it, I will have a constant supply of milk which is a great source of protein for my growing children. Receiving this money will mean a lot to me because it will boost my self-esteem and also make me feel part of this community.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am always happy in the evening because it gives me time to rest. This is also the time all members of my family are home and enjoying a meal together fascinates me. I also make sure that my children have completed their homework in time before they sleep.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Life as a woman in this area comes with a fair share of challenges. I cover close to 3 kilometers looking for water that I use for my household chores and to make the situation worse I carry it on my back. I do that 4-5 times a day because ones is never enough. This leaves me so exhausted and sometimes with persistent backaches. Take note that I do this single-handedly without the help of my husband because culturally he is not supposed to engage himself in such kind of work. That means I use half of my day fetching water alone instead of doing much more productive activities that will take my family forward economically. I also have to go the forest to get some firewood which again is quite a distance. All this work often gets me so overwhelmed that I sometimes wish I was a man.
