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 ($465 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am old and I have been depending on my daughter who is not married for our daily needs. Since I can no longer do anything on my own, it is my prayer for God to give me good health so that I can continue living.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by conducting training before enrollment and by deciding to give people an equal amount of financial aid without discriminating especially the old. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am growing old as the days pass by and due to this, I have not been having the strength to do most of the chores that needs a lot of strength. Because of this, I have been depending on my daughter and grandchildren to help me with the work of dusting my house since it was made of mud. When I received my second transfer, I spent a huge chunk for it to cement the floors and used the remaining amount on food and clothes. I am glad that cleaning has been made easier and less tiresome.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($488 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I am illiterate and I do not know how to use a phone. As I was relaxing at home while feeding my livestock, my granddaughter came and informed me that GiveDirectly had sent the promised money. I was overwhelmed with joy on hearing this and I requested her to rush and call my helper since I needed to confirm the good news from an older person.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the achievement of building a more decent house for my family. I am planning to use my second transfer to cement the floor. Moving into this house will be a major step in my life since cleaning it will be made easier and less time-consuming. Also, this house will be dust-free most of the time and our clothes will not get dirty easily.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 42000 from my first transfer to build a more decent house for my house made with timber walls and KES 13000 on three three-seater seats, food, and clothes. I settled on building this house since I am planning on using my next transfer to cement the floor. The floors and the walls of the house I currently live in are made of mud and with my age, I usually depend on other people to help me in cleaning it.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means food security and stability to me. I am a grandma with a young granddaughter to stay with and no one to provide for us. My children are married and are struggling to make ends meet for their own families. Crop production has deteriorated in this area for the past years, unlike my youthful times. With this amount am guaranteed to acquire a dairy cow that will sustain me for my whole life through the provision of milk for food, surplus milk for sale, and the production of calves for sale every year to meet the food requirements and household needs such as toiletries and clothes for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being an old woman I spent most of my time within the homestead cleaning, farming sweet potatoes and onions, and herding the livestock. The afternoon is the happiest part of my day because I relax and enjoy the stories. my granddaughter. This gives me memories of my early period.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Hunger is the biggest challenge I have faced in life. This has been triggered by adverse weather conditions ( drought ) and diseases in the area. This has affected crop production and distribution in our families. Having three meals a day is only possible when my relatives bring me some of the food materials. Otherwise, I live on one meal a day and sometimes two especially when there are sweet potatoes. Getting this meal a day is a great struggle, for the past years I have sold out all my goats and some of the chicken to meet the food requirement and at the moment I am afraid because all my salable assets are no more.
