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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What GiveDirectly does well is being transparent with everything that they do. I liked how the enrollment process was not corrupt.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
A year ago, I lost my scrapt metals business because I sold my stock and used all the money that I had to dowry for my wife who had been taken away from me by her parents. Since then I have been doing casual jobs to provide for my family and I have not been able to save towards opening another business because of the meager wages that I earn. When I received my first transfer of KES 3000, I bought some few metals for start up and thankfully it picked up well. For the second transfer, I spent the whole amount worth KES 3000 to add more stock and I'm grateful that the business is doing well and I am able to support my family without much strain.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was walking from the nearby market center where I had gone to look for a casual job when I heard my phone's message tone. While checking it, I felt some unusual excitement when I realized that it was an Mpesa message. In the previous day, my son had been sent home because I had not paid his fee for the past three months. All promises I was giving to teachers had not been fulfilled. As a matter of fact, that day I seriously prayed in the morning and vowed that I would only take the child back to school with the full arrears. This was indeed an answered prayer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before the transfer, it was a big struggle for me to support my little son's schooling. Since I received GD first transfer, the biggest difference in my life is a relief from paying school fees. Whatever little wages I earn from casual jobs is currently diverted towards acquisition of my household's food. Prior to the coming of GD, we could miss meals for a whole day. However, for the past two months, as a family we have never missed a meal for a whole day.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had had my son's accumulated school fee arrears for three amounting to KES 600. For a couple of 4 months I had no casual job thus supporting my family had been a big struggle. Unfortunately, a day preceding the day transfers were sent, my son had been sent home to collect fee arrears. I am glad that the transfer was sent at the time I had a pressing need, thus I spent KES 1000 to offset fee arrears of KES 600 and a surplus of KES 400 to cater for the next two months fee. As a result of GD transfer, I have felt a big relief on as far as paying school fees is concerned.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
It has always been my dream to buy a motorcycle to start a business but because I will be getting these transfers in bits, I have opted to be buying one goat every month for the next 10 months to have a herd of them. Depending on the size of the goat I will be spending 2500KES every month to buy a goat and pay school fees for my son with the remaining 500KES. My plans with these goats are to sell them later at a profit when they multiply so I can raise money to buy the motorcycle.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Amidst the struggle I go through every day to make ends meet and put food on the table for my family, seeing them in good health has brought me joy and happiness in my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I depend on casual jobs at construction sites to take care of my family. These jobs don't come daily and when I get lucky I make 600KES which is not enough to feed a family of 7. As the eldest son in the family, it is also my responsibility to take care of my parents who are elderly. The burden is too much on me and this stresses me a lot most of the time.
