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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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53010 KES ($394 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
With the small kiosk business that I've developed, I'm hoping to make enough money to start building a house for myself and my four children.
I have to start anew because we moved out of our house where we were with my husband and I returned to my parent's place. This way, I have to find a place and start a new life to protect my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give Directly did an excellent job by allowing us to take care of our own needs with no strings attached, and our families are now very happy as a result of the unconditional transfers provided.
This has saved many families from frustration, shame, and, most significantly, hunger.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Since my relationship with my husband has been strained for some time, I've been concerned about where to begin with paying my children's school fees and even other basic household necessities, given that I don't have a job or a source of money.
So when I received my second transfer, I was overjoyed because it was going to change my life and the lives of my children. I began by enrolling my firstborn son in high school and used $170 to pay school tuition and other school requirements, $100 to start a small kiosk business selling vegetables and fruits, and saved $260 in my mpesa to use it later to pay for term two school fees and buy food when we run out.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($442 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
That moment I received my transfer, I can recall that I was at the farm preparing my farm for the next planting season, suddenly, I heard my phone ringing. Upon checking, I realised that I had received a Mpesa text indicating that I had received money from GiveDirectly. It filled me with joy and happiness because I knew that I would be able to carry out my plans. My husband and my children went down on our knees and thanked the highest for the wonderful gift that came our way. I am grateful for the transfer that has had a positive impact on our lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
GiveDirectly support has amazingly lifted my life to a higher level. This is because I was able to cultivate a bigger portion of the land. This means that I will be expecting a bumper harvest sooner or later. Due to financial constraints, none of this would have been possible. My family and I are grateful for the help that has significantly improved our lives.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a cook at a nearby school and my husband is a farmer. Together, we have four children. Upon receipt of my first transfer, my husband and I thought of investing in agriculture. This was what we were best at. Though, cultivation of a bigger land can be expensive. Therefore we used $250 for planting maize. Secondly, I bought a dairy cow worth $120 and lastly I used $100 on farm equipment and bought food with the remaining amount. This was not possible before because we used all the resources that we had in treating our child, but unfortunately succumbed. It was heartbreaking but we had no choice but to be strong. I am so grateful for the support that brought so much happiness to our lives through financial support.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I would like to prioritize settling my two siblings elsewhere so that I can have more space here to do farming. I will therefore use half of the transfers to buy them a 0.1-acre piece of land and also to set them up a business that will keep them busy as they grow it. The other half of the cash will be an investment for me for I plan to purchase two bulls for fattening and one year later I'll be able to get a sum of $1000 from their sale. This will enable me to expand my farming activities because with that I'll be able to have more land and at least some more beef cattle.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am happy because my health and that of my family is in good shape. I have seen people who are really in pain and distress because of ill health but am thankful for we have not suffered.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenges we are facing as a family can be traced back to the time when our parents were evicted from where they had settled by claims that the land was acquired illegally. This crippled our parents economically because we were not able to go to school anymore nor live a life that most families get to enjoy by being together and children growing up together as siblings. I then started to do casual jobs from the age of 15 and by the age of 25, I was able to buy this 0.4 acre of land from my savings. I settled with my family here but the challenge has been that I also had to accommodate my younger siblings because they were in the streets and they had nowhere to call home. I am now doing casual jobs in the village to provide for them and I wish I could find them something to do so that they can also start providing for themselves.
