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
53150 KES ($517 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different in that I have cows and goats which I never owned before the coming of GiveDirectly. These livestock will reproduce and increase in number. Through them, I will be able to sell and educate my children who are still young. Also paying for my child college fees on time has given me peace of mind. I wouldn't pay for him on time, but when I got this transfer, I cleared the arrears and he is now comfortable in school.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Done well in changing our lives
Giving us the money and giving the freedom to plan for ourselves was, in my opinion, what GiveDirectly did well. I do not see anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent a larger portion of the second transfer on purchasing two heifers at KES 40000 which I am currently keeping in my homestead. They are assets that I can readily depend on in case of a financial problem. In addition to this, I also spent it on buying daily food and also paying for my children's school fees.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($543 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The money has enabled me to purchase eight goats which I am currently rearing in my homestead. The goats are easy to maintain and our area is favourable for rearing them. I never thought of having any livestock because my financial status could not allow. I thank GiveDirectly for helping me to acquire these precious assets. My aim is to keep them and let them mature, reproduce and increase in number. Having them is a source of wealth which I can rely on in case of any financial crisis. This to me is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the message notification at around 2 o'clock in the morning. On checking who the sender was, I was amused when I realized that it was a message from GiveDirectly notifying me that I had received my first transfer from them. I was overjoyed and started waiting for dawn to break so that I would share the good news with my family. I knew that money would enable me to improve my way of living.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent KES 24000 to purchase eight goats which I currently keep in my compound. To me having the goats is a great opportunity to grow financially, for they will reproduce and increase in number and have many of them. They are a source of wealth which I can depend on in case of any financial crisis. I am also working as a taxi service provider in my local town using a motorcycle. This is the only source of income that I have, which I depend on for meeting my family's basic needs. However, my motorcycle had a breakdown and the cost of repair and servicing was high. I stayed for a few days before embarking on my job. This was after I received the transfer from which I spent KES 11000 for my motorcycle to be repaired and serviced. I also bought a solar panel at KES 5000 for lighting purposes in my house. I spent the rest of the money to provide daily food for my family and in meeting other household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Besides my motorcycle business I depend on subsistence farming for a living. However, I do not produce enough due to inconsistent rainfall. My desire is to improve food security for my family. I will therefore purchase oxen to scale up farming and also hire them at a fee. I will also purchase goats for rearing because they multiply faster and are drought resistant. I will sell them to respond to financial needs thus make it easier to take care of my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend the better part of my day on the road ferrying customers from one destination to the other. This is labor intensive and it wears out my energy as I hardly get time to rest. In the evening when I am back home, I relax with my family as we take supper. This makes me happy because it revives my lost energy as well as strengthening our bond.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I lost 15 goats due to drought in 2015. This really affected my financial status since I depended on them to sustain my family. I could even sell them to raise school fees for my children. Since then my life has never been same and I struggle too much to make ends meet.
