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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before my husband because sick and unproductive, he used to work as a mason and he used to earn some good money which anabled him to buy a plot in the nearly market. Our plan was to save towards building a shop and open a general shop but things went South when he started being sick. He has not been able to work since then and I had to start looking for casual jobs to provide for my family. It hasn't been a smooth journey. When I was enrolled in the program, I saw a light at the end of the tunnel and I was hopeful that our dream was about to be fulfilled, my goals was to buy building materials in bits and pay school fees for my children. With my recent transfer, I spent KES 1600 to buy iron sheets, KES 400 to pay school fees and KES 1000 to buy enough food to take us through the month. I'm hopeful that in the next few months I will have bought enough iron sheets for roofing therefore start building a semi permanent shop and open my business later.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What GiveDirectly does well is uplifting the poor and marginalized in the society and giving hope to the hopeless.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my very recent transfer to pay my children's school fees. I previously had a business of selling vegetables in order to support my children which was not performing well thus posed a lot of financial constraint to my family. My additional goal is to save my transfer with a long term plan of building a two door rental house in my 0.03ha parcel of land at kabaseni. From this investment, I shall be able to raise some additional income to support my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before I began receiving the transfers, I was always struggling to meet both my households basic and my children educational needs. I was always weighed down and almost giving up in life. The transfer I received helped me to settle some of the school fee arrears thus I felt some relief from financial burden. This has to a great extent made my life better than it was before.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Since the onset of Covid-19 in Kenya, my husband lost his job and taking care of our children education needs has proven difficult. Though I was successfully enrolled in GD program, I still had doubts because the deal sounded too sweet to be true. However, on the day my first transfer was sent, my children had been sent home for examination fee though we previously had no single penny in our house. The transfer was sent when I was in dire need of money for my children's school fee. I really felt supper excited since none of my child was therefore going to miss sitting for an examination.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
When I closed down my grocery business, I did not know getting back on my feet would be that difficult. I have tried to put finances together so that I can restart in vain. There's hope now that GD will come through with the financial aid.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In June, my husband fell ill. We all lost confidence in his getting better or well. The doctor's report did not give us much hope either. I resigned to fate, let nature take its course. God is great that my husband got well and is alive to tell that story. I was so happy when he pulled through his illness.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been married for 13 years now. I'm a young stay-at-home mum. My husband works as a mason in Mombasa and as I take care of our 5 children here in the village, I get so bored when they go to school.
In June this year, my husband fell ill and it drained our finances. I had to close down my grocery shop so that I could take care of him. Now that he's back to work, I can reopen my business and be productive.
