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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($445 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?
Before I had received the funds, I was planning to invest the money more into something that is business-oriented and this meant buying a storage cooler because I wanted to start a fish business.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The organization definitely uplifted us economically in a very great way and in ways that we didn't expect at all, I personally was able to start my own business and now I'm in a better place to support my family which I'm very grateful for and have no complaints.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
As I had mentioned before I planned an opening up a new business where I sold fish. Therefore soon as I received the money I went ahead and bought a freezer to help me store the fish considered highly perishable.
Transporting the freezer itself cost me about KES 1,000. I also went ahead and bought two goats for KES 8,000 used the remainder of the money on ensuring my family and I always had a meal.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($482 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 6pm and I was still at work in my kiosk when I received the text message confirming that I have received the money from GiveDirectly. I felt so good when I got the money because it would help me address my needs easily since I had less ability before as my kiosk business couldn't enable me to do so. I was so happy because I knew at last I'll be able to get the water storage tank I had intended to get all along which would be a backup to my tap
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving money from GiveDirectly is that I am now more assured of getting regular water since I have a storage tank as a backup plan unlike before. I will not need the services of a motorcycle taxi to bring me water which will save me a lot of money, and even though so many of us in the village have tap water in our compounds, I still believe that I will be of so much and great help to those that do not have storage tanks in the event that there's a disruption in the water supply line, all thanks to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of the transfer which was KES 31000 on buying a 5000-litre storage tank which would be a backup to my tap because our area's tapped water distribution line faced constant disruptions and could make us go for almost a month without water. Therefore, this storage tank will not only benefit me but also other people in our village as well as raise me some income which will inturn enable me to meet my family's immediate needs. I am so happy and have a peace of mind knowing that having a storage tank full of water will keep me from going through the hardships of looking for water and incurring the costs of hiring the services of motorcycle taxis to get us water.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have a retail shop that is almost collapsing due to a lack of capital to add more stock. Aside from my current business, my dream has always been to raise chickens on a large scale. These transfers will enable me to achieve that because I plan to use KES 70,000 to expand my trade, KES 30,000 to start the chicken project and save the rest of the money for my child's education when she gets to secondary school. Receiving this money, therefore, means a boost in my business and good education for my children too.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I opened a retail shop last year in Nov and since then it has not collapsed though it is not doing so well because of a lack of capital I am still happy that it has helped us survive this far.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It saddens me to see the only business that is sustaining my family on the verge of collapsing because of a lack of capital to boost it. My husband who works in a quarry earns KES 400 per but the work is not sustainable because it is very unpredictable. This leaves us with no choice but to depend on the shop for survival. My current challenge is a lack of finances to boost my business and start a project of keeping chicken that I have had in mind for a long time.
