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 over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I bought land 0.25 acres from my neighbor which I will plant maize,beans and sweet potatoes
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
N/A
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Bought land
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($490 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at school, I had taken back my children who had been sent home due to school fees arrears. I heard a message ringtone on my phone and I pulled it out of my pocket wondering what it was all about. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the SMS which was indicating that I had received KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy to learn the good news and I thanked God because it was like a prayer answered. I immediately used some to pay for my children's school fees because I didn't have any to give out.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a very big difference in my life and that of my family. I will no longer have to borrow loans and stress on repaying them because I was able to acquire the land that I have always wanted with this transfer that GiveDirectly gifted us with.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of the money that I got from GiveDirecty on buying land. There was a piece of land that I had bought but I had not managed to complete paying for it due to lack of money. So when I got the transfer, I decided to complete making the payment and I bought another extra piece of land which was adjacent to the one that I had bought earlier. I decided to settle on acquiring more land because the one I had was very small. I hence wanted a bigger one where I could rear a cow and build another house since the house that I live in is small and not enough for me and my three children. I have not been in a position to acquire more land because I didn't have the money. I depend on casual jobs of farming to earn a living. The money that I get from the casual jobs most of it goes to the purchase of food and I save a little bit of it to use in repaying back a loan that I had taken when I was purchasing the first piece of land. With the burden of repaying the loan, I have hence not been able to make any developments. I am thus so much grateful to GiveDirectly for coming up with this program of helping the less fortunate.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will have a place I can own. I separated with my husband 2 years ago, with 3 kids to look after and having only a house I was given by my parents to shelter in, my plan is to buy a piece of land (⅕) worth KES 70,000. I will also buy a dairy cow and build a small house for myself and call it home.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning is the happiest part of my day when I wake up in good health and on seeing my children happy and in good health.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraints have been my hardest challenge. As a Single mother and having 3 children to look after and depending only on casual jobs to put something on the table as well as paying fees for my children as been an uphill task for me. The little I get from casual jobs goes to foodstuffs only and nothing to develop, my brothers also are not happy while am at home hence feeling stressed most of the time.
