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 ($468 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?
Paying school fees after receiving the first and the second transfer was the most challenging bill to meet in my household but I am glad that the budget we had fully gathered for all the arrears and the current term. At the moment, I have a new goal of starting a small grocery business. My land is just meters away from the school gate and establishing a fruit, vegetable, fast food shop will be profitable. At the moment, I am working hard to see my children through their final years in school so that I can direct all the savings we had been making in other sectors to the establishment of the business.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The approach by GiveDirectly was so smooth in my opinion that no one has ever complained even after the whole operation. The initial sensitization meeting that we started with was an eye-opener as everyone got to understand that the support was coming only once before the project is moved to the next village. No one was forced to take any spending decisions and even the phone that was issued was only to those who needed it. I applaud GiveDireclty a lot with a good feeling that everything they did to every household was heartwarming.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
In our region, crop farming has never done well due to the scarcity of rainfall making the whole sub-county drought-prone. Investment in livestock though has made many families prosper, receiving this second transfer gave us a chance to also invest KES 30000 on two potential fast-growing heifers. This decision was informed by our future projection in that we are still paying school fees for our children, and any upcoming emergency can also be addressed by selling the offspring or using the savings from their products. I also paid KES 10000 school fees for my three children currently in secondary school and purchased foodstuff and at least a pair of clothes for every member of my family of seven. I am grateful for the huge strides my household has realized within a short period, and I am hoping that all I have invested in will keep growing.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home busy doing my house chores when I had my phone ringing, it was around 9am, when I picked my phone to check, that was when I realized that I had received money from GiveDirectly, I was overwhelmed with joy, I thanked God for the support that I had received, I knew all my plans would be realized now that I had the money at hand, I am happy and grateful for this wonderful gift that brought smiles to lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life today is that I now have a dairy cow, with I am certain that I will be able to cut down on the daily cost of milk, therefore saving up some money which is a very big relief on my side, secondly, I cleared school fees arrears for my children, lastly, I renovated my house. Indeed this is a blessing from above, everything went on smoothly as I had planned am I am grateful for the support that lifted my life amazingly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a consistent farmer in the village, we are blessed with four children. For a long time now I have been buying milk for our daily consumption, this is very expensive for us due to unreliable sources of income, therefore I decided to use my first transfer in buying a dairy cow worth KES18,000. I also used KES 15,000 in paying school fees arrears, then lastly I renovated my house using KES 20,000. I am humbled and happy that I was able to accomplish so much within a short period, my children are happy now that we own a dairy cow. The support that I got from GiveDirectly lifted my life to a higher level and I am thankful for it.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I will be able to clear school fees for my child who is in secondary school and will also be able to deposit for the coming term. This term the school owes me 150 dollars. I also have unfinished house so i will use some to finish my house. I need 150 dollars to complete. Sheep are good an breeds faster. I would like to buy 3 for starter this will cost around 150 dollars too. The remaining amount I will buy food for my family since our area is prone to drought so there is food shortages.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when my children come back from school. I am happy to enjoy lunch together as they tell me how their day was at school.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have experience a lot of hardship. First my house got burnt buy my Sister in law. By then i had only one house and my husband was an orphan. This really affected us. Then my son was also admitted in the ICU due to poisoning. This drained us financially