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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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Enrollment
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Completed
Newsfeed > Samwel's Profile
Samwel's family
Samwel
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
70
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($423 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I bought an iron sheet with my first transfer to build a decent house for my family, but this was not possible due to the pressing need for school fees. As a result, my dream would be to finish the house. To accomplish this, I am trusting God to provide us with a bountiful harvest.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The support offered by GiveDirectly has generally improved our people's lives and standard of living. We received excellent training on how the program operates, where the donations come from, and all of the stages they would walk us through, beginning with the census stages when the organization conducted community sensitization. There were no flaws or issues that needed to be addressed in my opinion.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
It is every parent's dream to see their children succeed in life. For me, school fees have been the most pressing need because my last-born son is attending university and I do not have a reliable source of income. I rely on farming, which has been severely impacted by changing weather conditions in recent years. As a result, my earnings are insufficient to meet all of our needs, so I used the entire amount of the transfer to pay my son's school fees. I am relieved and delighted that I will not have to sell any of our properties to pay the fees as previously. GiveDirectly's support was authentic, and as a result, I am grateful
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($479 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home relaxing when I received my transfer, When suddenly I heard my phone ringing, upon checking I saw a Mpesa notification message showing that we had received money from GiveDirectly. It was the happiest day in our lives, words cannot express the immense joy and happiness that I felt. This is because I knew that we would be able to transform our lives with the money that we had received. I am grateful for the support that gave us an opportunity for us to change our lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My mind is at peace after clearing the university fees arrears, I can comfortably sleep at night knowing that my son is well and safe out there. School fees responsibility has been my major headache since I do not have a reliable source of income.MY life is indeed different because all that burden was lifted by the transfer that I had received. I am forever grateful for the support that brought so much happiness and changed our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The major challenge that I have been facing is having to raise money for my Son school fees, He is at the university and the tuition fees and accommodations are very expensive for me to afford since I depend on farming and casual jobs in earning an income. Tus upon receiving my transfer, I used KES 30,000 in paying school fees for my son. I then used KES 7500 in buying building material so that I could construct a decent kitchen since the one that I had was leaking. Lately, I used the remaining amount in buying foodstuffs and clothes. I am soo grateful for the support that changed our living standards.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always desired good education for all my children because I never got the chance to go to school. My last born son is currently in his third year of studies at a local university and paying for his school fees and other levies is an uphill task. My wife does casual jobs in order to support our family of four since I cannot do manual jobs due to old age. The KES 200 that she earns per day caters for food and other emergencies only. We sold all the four cows we had to pay for his school fees. I am excited because Givedirectly will lift this burden from me and my son will complete his education. I plan on clearing school fees in arrears of KES 26,000 and pay KES 30,000 for the next semester. Receiving this money therefore means a bright future for him.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the last six months we have had consistent rainfall. This means sufficient food for consumption and enough water for use. This has brought me happiness as I harvested a bag of maize last month that will last us about two months saving me the expenditure of buying maize meal which is our staple food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraints is the biggest challenge in my life. I used to own a herd of cows two years ago but sold all of them so that my son could go to university. Lack of stable income has seen us strain alot financially because we solely depend on my wife who does casual jobs to earn a living. What remains after purchasing food from the income of KES 200 per day is hardly enough to pay for school fees leaving us with alot of arrears. It gives me sleepless nights when my son is unable to do his exams due to school fees balance.