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 ($428 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
To make ends meet, I want to expand my current business and include carpentry.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I appreciate that before we are given money, Give Directly provides us with training sessions. This was crucial in assisting us in better comprehending the initiative, the terms and conditions of Give Directly, and other financial applications.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a 100-seater tent for events by combining my second transfer with my first transfer that I had saved in my Imarisha Sacco account. I intend to recoup the cost of the tent, which was around ksh 100,000, in six months.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was thrilled and thankful when I received the message from GiveDirectly that confirmed the receipt of my first transfer. I was at home with my spouse and children taking our breakfast, who, after sharing the news, were all excited and thankful to God. We had all the plans in place and had to proceed and withdrew part of the transfer the same day and bought some foodstuff and other household goods that were missing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am happy that after receiving the first transfer; I have done a lot that has drastically improved my living standards. Even though the tent is not yet complete, I hope it will bring the biggest difference in my daily life in that the income will increase and make it easier for my sustainability with the family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I received the first transfer when my child had just concluded his final examination in primary school and had received an appointment letter to join a tertiary level. Part of the transfer came in handy in facilitating his entry after paying KES 5500 for his tuition fees. For almost two years now, I had been offering public address services at a cost to the community. This has been earning my family a livelihood since the proceeds have always been good, especially during the festive seasons. I had to inject some of the transfer into this business in that I needed to add some value by offering a tent and, in the future, enough seats. On this project, I spent KES 47000 on buying a double fabric that I am now working on to make a tent with a capacity of 100 seats. I am grateful since this will boost my income and even allow me to expand in the future to a better business. I later spent the remaining amount on buying foodstuff for my family of eight.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
At the moment we do not have a steady source of income. We are just peasant farmers, farming for subsistence use. I have been having a dream of starting a motorcycle spares business. I believe it will earn me enough income to meet our daily needs like food, shelter, and clothing for my family. I plan to use KES 50,000 as capital for this. For the remaining amount, I will pay school fees for my three children in school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the last two months, we have received plenty of rainfall. As a result, I planted vegetables on my 0.1 acres of land. In the next two weeks, I will be harvesting and selling it to my neighbors. My joy is that I will be able to get money out of the hard work I have been doing.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The main challenge is food insecurity due to poor crop yields. Our area generally experiences low rainfall making farming unsustainable. Maize farming( which is our staple food) was particularly affected leading to low production. I used to harvest 5 bags in half an acre but for the last 3 years, I harvest one bag or none.
