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
53150 KES ($442 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My new goal is to be able to start a small business. My intention is to save up enough money to be able to start small in this said business. I do masonry work and I intend to make savings from it and finally be able to start a hardware. This is a business that I have always had in mind and I am looking forward towards actualizing it.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well in giving us money unconditionally and doing so without exercising any form of discrimination. Peoples lives have greatly changed from the time we received money from givedirectly. People have been able to make decisions on how to spend the money independently and this was such a brilliant idea from GiveDirectly team.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 35000 to buy a dairy cow and used the remaining amount to buy furniture for my newly built house. I had two dairy cows already and I made a decision to buy additional to make sure we have enough milk supply throughout the year. Milk is one of the main sources of income for us as a family and getting such will ensure that we have diversified our sources of income and be more independent financially too. By those cows reproducing too means that I will be able to sell some of the cows and even pay school fees for my children once they start their secondary education. I am a father of three children and my focus is to see them get the best in terms of education too. I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for enabling me and my family realize this dream.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($481 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home with my family when I received a message from GiveDirectly. On checking it and confirming that it was about the receipt of the transfer, we were all excited in the household. It was around 4:00 PM and could not withdraw at that moment but decided to wait till the next day when I visited the nearby shopping center to collect the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the plentiful supply of milk from the dairy cow that I bought. I am no longer spending any amount on the purchase of milk and looking forward to a future when I will be selling some liters to the neighborhood. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for the support that has enhanced the changes in my household.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had been buying milk from the neighborhood for my family of five for a long time which was very expensive. I had been hoping to raise some money that would have helped in buying a dairy cow but it has never been possible due to other pressing obligations. On receiving the first transfer, I was able to spend KES 35000 on buying a lactating dairy cow that has so far been providing enough milk for our household use. I am happy that the struggle to buy milk is no longer part of my concerns and have diverted the allocated money that I would have used in milk to buy other household goods. I also spent KES 10000 on a new piece of furniture for my new house that I had just completed the construction when I got enrolled in the GiveDirectly program. I spent the remaining amount of foodstuff worth KES 3700, and also clothes for my family at KES 6000.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been yearning to provide enough nutrients to my children and therefore, receiving this money means raising a healthy family. I have been buying 2 liters of milk every day for domestic use at KES 60 per liter which is costly and I work as a casual laborer (house construction) in the village. My job is unreliable because it is hard to come by and when luck comes, I get a meager wage of KES 500 a day. I at times fail to buy milk for domestic use due to lack of money and this makes me feel sad. I, intend to spend approximately KES 20,000 to buy a dairy cow and use it solely for domestic use and thus raising a healthy family. I will be glad to see my family living a healthy life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last 6 months, I have been able to improve our house by building a better one. Initially, we used to live in a small grass-thatched house which was not enough to accommodate a family of five. I managed to build it using my savings from the casual work I do. This is what has brought happiness to our lives.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Maize necrosis disease has been the major challenge we are currently facing. Over the past 10 years, we have been unable to harvest sufficient maize in our farms due to the disease. Maize has been our staple food and unfortunately, the government has failed to get a solution to this. Even though we have 0.5 acres of land, it is futile and I feel sad while buying maize instead of growing it.
