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
55000 KES ($442 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I will be selling maize and as of now, I have harvested some but some dried up due to the prolonged drought. I believe in the coming days, it will rain and will be harvesting enough that will be able to sell and get enough money.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I really love GiveDirectly so much. I did not have any idea where I would get enough money to settle my child's fee. The only option I had was to sell the only cow that I had but thanks to GiveDirectly, I did not sell my cow and neither did I take any loan and I was able to pay my child's fee. Thank you for the unconditional transfers and for being able to remember us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I did not complete my education and I wouldn't want my children to end up the way I did. The moment I received the transfers, I was so happy and I immediately went shopping with my child who is joining form one. We bought everything that was required of him to buy and as we speak right now, we are on the roads taking him to school.
I also bought a land where I have been doing farming. I have been investing in my maize farm and I believe that the more I sell it the more I get money and the easier it will be for me to pay my children's school fees.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($470 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was with great joy when I received my first transfer from Givedirectly. With the struggles, I had been undergoing on raising school fees from dairy and subsistence farming which could cater for all our d database family needs. After confirming receipt of the transfer, I planned on withdrawing the transfer the following day since we needed to pay school fees for our daughter who was joining form one.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The complete payment of school fees for my daughter is the biggest difference in my daily life after receipt of my first transfer. I had been struggling to raise school fees for all children in school but I am now grateful since the first transfer came timely.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving my first transfer clearing school fees for my daughter who was joining form one was a priority on my to-do list. I am glad that I managed to clear a whole term fee of KES 40,000 for her that was the most pressing with a huge amount required. I also spent the remaining part of the transfer on purchasing a ceiling boar that I had planned to install in a new house I had constructed before receipt of the transfer. I am happy since the house is warm especially during cold seasons unlike before. I am glad to see the great transformation in my household and hope to change a lot with the next transfer.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I retired from the civil service 10 years ago when my three children were still in school. I invested in dairy farming but then sold all the cows to cater to their university education also other basic needs like food and rent. Receiving this money means a stable source of income and at the same time good education for my daughter who did her primary levels examination this month. I am happy because these transfers will change how I live. I plan on buying a dairy cow with KES 30,000 and use the rest of the money to take my daughter to a good secondary school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Four months ago, Brookside dairy Farms opened a milk collection center in this area. They buy milk from us at a favorable price of KES 40 per liter compared to KES 30 when we sold locally. At the same time, we can access loans from a microfinance bank easily because it guarantees the farmer. This has improved my life and also increased the income I get from the sale of milk by KES 100 per day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is a challenge due to inconsistent rainfall we hardly harvest maize from our farms. This forces us to buy foodstuffs every day which is expensive and unreliable especially when there is no stable source of income. Also, milk production has gone down because of a lack of pasture.
