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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
477520 RWF ($424 USD)
access_time 11 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I want to have more money in the future, at least having 500000F per year from selling shoes, because I used to sell them but I stopped it due to I was still young and didn't have National ID but now I am old enough to do it. After completing my house i will go in selling shoes and get the money that I wish to have.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Giving money that you will not pay in big quantity is very good and everything that GD has done is good, I don't see anything to change
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was living in a small place and I am building another big house to live in
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
329680 RWF ($298 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was home when I received the first transfer. Not only me but everyone in my village was jumping for joy on the transfer date. I never imagined I would be able to be i possession of such a big amount of money. I was always trying to save some money to be able to renovate my house. Agent came to my house for the withdrawal and I started buying construction materials to start the renovation activities.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before receiving the transfer, I was living in a very tough situation where I had to look for gigs in exchange of barely 1 $ or some food. My dreams of renovating my house where out of reach and I struggled to get some food. It is safe to say that life is better now; I am able to eat while carrying on the renovation projects. I pray and thank GD each morning.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my first transfer buying construction materials to start renovating my house. I bought construction tools worth 142 $, paid 32 $ for a solar lighting system, bought planting seeds for 10 $, food for 20 $ and some wood worth 50 $. I am an orphan and live alone. My biggest dream is renovating my house and starting my very own family. I believe all this will come to reality all because of GD.
Enrolled
access_time 1 year ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
The first instalment I plan to renovate my house and build an outside kitchen because my house is currently small and i plan to get married in the near future so i need a big house.
The second instalment i plan to use it as a capital in my forestry business, I was selling in the rural areas, but i plan to start packaging and selling charcoal in urban areas.
Receiving this money means having an opportunity to expand my family and have a wife , and it will help me reach a wider market coming from rural to urban and the income i will generate from it will help me live better.
What is the happiest part of your day?
There was a day i planted coffee and everyone was laughing at me thinking that the place won't be productive because it was near the road and recently that coffee is starting to grow and now all those people are seeing that progress and they can see that i will be able to get enough yield from that plantation and this makes me very happy because i will get money from that harvest.
I currently own my own house, and i could say that this is a major step in my life, and when I sit with my friends discussing and having good memories, it gives me joy and happiness.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The first challenge I am facing is living alone . When I fall sick, i don't get any immediate support, and this affects my healing process
I currently don't have enough capital to run my own business, I always do casual labor to be able to raise enough money to do some small business and I don't get the whole amount i need all at once. I once approached Sacco ( Saving and Credit Cooperative) because i wanted to buy a land , and they managed to give me a loan of $100 but the land couldn't generate income and i had to struggle to be able to pay the loan back it required me to sell my livestocks, i sold my only 3 pigs to be able to pay out that loan.
