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.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was just from taking evening tea from a restaurant next to my business premise when I heard a beep on my phone. Upon checking, it was a confirmation message that I had received some money from Give Directly. It was such a surprise. I could not believe it. I felt so happy immediately called one of my uncles to inform him of the news.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily since I started receiving the transfers is having been able to boost my business. The income has improved hence making it easy to meet my needs without straining. I am also kept busy the whole day because of the huge flow of customers.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had a retail shop which I started with a capital of KES 5000. It was not doing well because I could not afford to stock various goods and in most cases, I would look at it and wonder what would become of me in the future since it is my only source of income. When I received the first transfer I used KES 35000 to add more stock to it and am glad the business is flowing. Initially, I would close with a total sale of KES 1500 but currently, I make a total sale of 5600 a day.
Am currently using part of the business premise as my house because I do not have one. I, therefore, spent KES 15000 on timber and poles that I will use to construct a house. This will give me a chance to purchase more households and feel independent too. A portion of the money I spent on various kinds of foodstuff for family consumption.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money implies an investment opportunity for me. I am a 29 years old single man. I own a land plot nearby. The plot is still bare, I have not invested in it due to lack of money. I intend to use a total of 80,000 KES to build a house on that plot. The house will have 4 single rooms. There is a day secondary school close by ( Palakumi Secondary School. I am optimistic that my house will be occupied after its completion. My targeted occupants will be the students. I will be saving the rent I will be collecting for future use. I believe I will later have a family and families come with responsibilities.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was employed as a shopkeeper in July 2021. This was my happiest moment. I had stayed for more than 2 years without any kind of employment. I can now at least rely on myself to some extent. Buying myself food without depending on anyone cheers me up.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge I am currently facing is a lack of enough money. I have a land plot that I am yet to develop. Due to lack of money, the plot has been lying idle for over a year. For all that long, I have been having an ambition of building a rental house but due to inadequate funds, this dream is yet to pass.
