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
55000 KES ($457 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My new goal is to start a small business of poultry keeping. I am already part of a merry go round contribution group with a main agenda of starting this project. I will use the money that I will get from the merry go round to start this project. This project will not only make me to be more independent financially but will also improve the livelihood of my family. I am looking forward towards making this happen.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well in giving us cash so as to make decisions on how to spend it. This money brought so much joy to us as a family having spent the money in the way that we did.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 20000 to build a new house and used the remaining amount to buy a piece of land. I normally rely on small business that gives me just enough to feed my family and this would not have enabled me to invest in the ways I did. I am a single mother of two and I am so happy and grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me realize my dream. I look forward towards achieving much more in terms of subsistence farming and making more income to support my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was very happy at the moment I received the first transfer, I was with my children around 8:00 pm when I received a message notification and on reading it, I was able to understand that it was the transfer I had been waiting for. Since I had set everything straight, I could not withdraw immediately but made some purchases through the mobile money payment
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the plentiful supply of milk from the dairy cow that I bought. This has reduced the cost of living in my household in that, I am not buying milk anymore from the neighborhood but instead selling the surplus to earn me an extra income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After the withdrawal of the money in the nearby town the following day, I purchased a dairy cow at KES 30000. This was a great chance for me to stop the high expenses I had been meeting while buying milk every day for my family of three. I also initiated the construction of a new house after purchasing 22 iron sheets. We had been living in a small house and the ongoing construction is spacious enough to accommodate my family. I spent the remaining amount on adding up to my grocery business that I have seen flourish over time earning me a better profit margin that has, in turn, improves my savings.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means the improved nutritional status of my family. In our culture, we value cows because of milk. Milk has good nutritional value in the development of children. So when I get this transfer I will spend KES 30000 to purchase a dairy cow. I expect to produce milk for household use and if in surplus I will sell to generate income. For the remaining amount, I will build a more spacious iron-roofed house. I have a son who is growing up and in our culture its a taboo for a mother to continue sleeping under one roof with a grown-up boy. This house will cost around KES 25000.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a vendor, I have learned to save money through merry go round of ten members. In this Merry go round I contribute KES 700 weekly. One week ago it was my turn and I received a contribution of KES 7000 which I used to purchase 2 sheep. Sheep can give birth up to 3 times in a year hence increasing in number fast. This has brought joy and happiness into my life since these sheep will be my source of income when I sell them.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is food insecurity. I am a single mother with two children and where I live I bought land and it is small to start farming. I bought 0.2 acres of land. To get money for purchasing food I started a small business vending vegetables and fruits in the town nearby. On a good day, I earn KES 600 but at the moment my earnings are quite low due to drought. The little money I earn I spend on buying food and saving a little for my children's education.
