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 ($528 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than it would have been if I never received the transfer in that I would not buy building materials for building a house.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
By giving us money unconditional cash transfer which is non-refundable. There is nothing that GiveDirectly did not do well, Everything was good in my point of view.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spend my second transfer to buy building materials ready to build a better and spacious house for my family. We live in a small house which cannot host all of us comfortably, I also bought clothes for my children and paid labor. The rest of the money I have saved to gather for any emergency.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($542 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I received the first transfer is the great hope and happiness that the came into our household. We became so happy that we were finally going to construct a new house, improve our farming and even be able to support our children in school especially that one of them was going on with her final examinations.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Taking my mind back to that early morning when I received a notification message from GiveDirectly, I really became so happy waking up every member of my household who was still asleep. The message found me already up since I was preparing breakfast for my daughter who was going on with her final examinations. We all celebrated the blessing which had befallen our family. It really brought a renewed hope that we will finally establish the projects we had been thinking of.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
On receiving the first transfer from GiveDirectly, we decided to spend part of it on constructing a new house. We have already purchased 25 iron sheets, cut enough woods and currently waiting for the constructor to start the work. With the remaining amount, we decided to spend on buying household goods which include foodstuff, and also clothing for all members of y household.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Two of my sons have been sleeping in a neighbor's house for a long time. Due to interference there they've never had an ample time to study -which has affected their education. Using about Kshs 30,000 (300usd) of my first transfer I am going to build them a decent house with a solar powered light to help with their studies. This is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being a single mother demands a lot of hardwork, especially in fulfilling the desires of my three children. My day starts around 6:00 am after preparing breakfast for my two school going children. I would then head to my 0.3 acre piece of land where I am currently manually ploughing in preparation for planting maize later this month. This would last me till noon where I come back to prepare lunch and eat, after which is my time to rest under my favorite cypress tree -away from a relentless scorching afternoon sun. Radio will be on, tuned to our local station playing vernacular music. This is usually the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Most farmers in my community depend on maize farming as source of income and food for their families. I am no exception. More often our maize crops face stunted growth due to a mysterious soil borne disease and fall army worm infestation which result in minimal or no production. This leads to starvation. Since no other crop makes well in our hot climate we are condemned to rely heavily on sweet potato farming, whose overdependence has led to malnutrition and sometimes starvation.
