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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give directly has been very keen on ensuring fairness and equality in the distribution of the funds. This has been great and there aren't any cases where favoritism was applied. Therefore, give directly has done extremely well and I do not see any area that they need to improve on.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a housewife and a mother of six. Normally, I depend on my husband for financial support. Since he doesn't make much from making digging tools, we have been struggling to pay school fees for our four school-going children. So, I was forced to fight for their bursaries which I have never been successful in but I hope that this February, I will be able to get one. This will help in minimizing the number of times the children are often sent home due to school fee arrears. Since I am collaborating with my husband to meet the family's needs, I spent my first transfer of KES1200 on food whereas my husband worked on settling the school fee arrears. As for my second transfer of KES3000, I spent KES1500 on food since this was my main priority at the time. KES1000, I used it on the circumcision of my two sons as they were of age. For the KES500, I helped out my husband with the school fee payment for the children to avoid seeing them sent home due to fee arrears.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used the whole amount of KES 1200 to buy food for my family. After a long period of drought, there has been scarcity of food and therefore the transfers came in handy.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I was able to afford food last month due to the transfers. This money is beginning to bring a difference. I now have hope that I can focus on other things aside from only buying food with the little money I get.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was taking my child to the clinic when I received the message from my phone. I felt a lot of joy since I really needed money to buy food for the day. After I was done with clinic, I withdrew the money and bought food. My family was happy too since we had a good meal that day.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
This prolonged draught has brought about a lot of bad conditions like right now my husband isn't here because he had to take our cattle to Mtwapa about 100km from here in search of pasture. At the same time we depend on him fully to provide for us, but he can't sell enough pieces of hoes because people are no longer interested in farming given the condition.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I'm always happy whenever I'm able to get enough food for our family of five. I have three children who are living with me and attending grade school here in the village other than the other three who are in high school elsewhere. Given the low sale units we've been generating since the draught started, it's really hard to feed them.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I would like to spend these transfers to educate my 3 children who are currently in high school; two are in boarding schools paying about 30000 KES and one in a day school paying around 15000 KES. Lately my husband has been straining to afford this from his business making and wholesaling hoes in the village. I would really like to chip in and help shoulder this burden so that our children can stay in schools throughout the term.
