In their own words: Francis, Margaret, and Charles

This week, Francis, Margaret, and Charles, each of them at various stages of receiving their three cash transfer payments, spoke to our team. They each described how they spent the transfers and how this impacted their lives. Two of three recipients spent some part of their transfer on improving their homes. For Margaret, home improvements […]

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In their own words: Benard, Peter, and Eunice

Benard, Peter, and Eunice spoke to our team this week about how they spent their initial transfers and about how their lives have changed after receiving these transfers. Benard had received his first of three lump-sum payments, while Peter and Eunice had received their second of three. All three recipients also shared their plans for […]

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In their own words: Grace, Bonphas, and Joyce

Grace, Bonphas, and Joyce spoke to our registration team this week, prior to receiving their cash transfers. All three talked to our team about: 1) how they would like to spend their transfer, 2) their happiest part of the day, 3) their proudest achievement, 4) their greatest hardship, and 5) their current goals. Grace   […]

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Why I give directly: The evidence

In this week’s “why I give directly” blog series, Ian Turner talks about the values he looks for in a charity, and his reasons for choosing GiveDirectly in particular. I’ve been struggling with how to give effectively for a long time, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I came across a charity as committed to […]

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In their own words: Selina, Francis, and Alice

“How did you spend the transfer? How is your life different after receiving the transfer?” This week Selina, Francis, and Alice answered these questions from our follow-up teams. These recipients have already received their first lump-sum payment of 40,000 KES (about $375) and are scheduled to receive one more payment of the same amount. We […]

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Timing the transfer

Mitch Riley, one of GiveDirectly’s field directors, explains the logic that goes into answering the question: “why do we use the transfer timing that we do?” The decision on how to break up the approximately $1000 payment per recipient is more complicated than it might seem. We have to take into account a range of […]

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In their own words: Macoleta, George, and Elizabeth

Individuals living in extreme poverty face a range of challenges, depending on their age, their family size, their occupation, and other circumstances. This week, Macoleta, George, and Elizabeth spoke to our team about their own personal hardships, and how they plan to spend their transfers. These stories offer a glimpse into the remarkably diverse lives […]

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In their own words: Lydia, Mary, and Cristina

This week our team spoke to Lydia, Mary, and Cristina about their daily lives and how they plan to spend their cash transfers. We also took pictures of our recipients with their families and around their homes. Lydia   Lydia, 23, lives with her husband Peter and three children. She is a farmer.   Lydia: I […]

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Why I give directly: Self-improvement and transparency

In our next “why I give directly” blog series, Katherine Savoie writes about her organization’s rigorous charity vetting process, and how GiveDirectly measures up. Picking a charity is tricky. With millions of charities out there, it can be hard to know where to donate to make the biggest possible difference. At Charity Science we raise […]

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In their own words: Penina, Lukas, and Fredrick

Penina, Lukas, and Fredrick spoke to our follow up team about how they spent their cash transfers and how this money impacted their lives. Each household has different responsibilities and needs, and cash transfers give recipients flexibility to set their own priorities.Penina Penina, age 29, lives with her husband Thomas and four children. Penina: I […]

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