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
55000 KES ($468 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?
My new goal was to buy a cow because I come from a humble background where we don’t own any livestock. I married my wife without paying a dowry because I had nothing. I have since hoped to own livestock, which will enable me to pay her dowry someday. Getting these funds has enabled me to at least buy a cow, which is the beginning of my plan to have livestock.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly is done well because I had nothing. I am a proud owner of two cows and my neighbors as well have either bought cattle like I did or built their homes, which is improving our lifestyle here in the village. I would not want to GiveDirectly to do anything differently.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my recent transfer of KES 25,000 to buy a calf because my plan is to keep livestock, keeping in mind the dowry payment expected from me. I found it fair to buy a calf and keep it together with the cow I bought with my first transfer as an investment. I also used KES 20,000 to improvise my home by buying new furniture, because since I moved in with my wife, we have not had the pleasure of enjoying our living room with furniture. The remaining cash was spent on planting beans on my small farm because it is the planting season and on brand new clothes for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfers, I was at home getting ready to bath my children. Just then I saw a message notification blinking on my phone. Upon checking, I felt so happy as I smiled thanking God for the miracle I had received. I then placed the phone back to the seat where it was before I picked it then went ahead to complete washing my children. After that I prepared their evening porridge then took the phone to confirm if the the money was real as I could not believe still.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the happiness I have now. Knowing that I will get financial aid from GD to meet most of the goals that I did not know I would meet at any time in my life motivates me. Once my rental houses and the well will be ready, I will earn a good income from them which enable me to improve my household's living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought some building materials such as timber and poles at KES 25000 which am I planning to use to construct rental houses in the nearby center. We have a piece of land that has been lying fallow for a long period of time. I want to develop it so that I can earn some income from the rental houses. I am a subsistence farmer but the farm produce cannot feed my family for a whole year. This will boost my income to help me meet my family's needs. I also bought a piece of land near my home at KES 15000 where I am planning to drill a borehole. Water is a real challenge in our region because of the prolonged drought we normally experience. Once I will have drilled the well, I will be supplying my community members with the water at a fee which will also be an additional source of income.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been a full-time housewife for the past 10 years. My husband works as a casual laborer in town. My longing has been to have a stable source of income but due to financial constraints, this dream has never come to pass. I am overjoyed to see that my dream is about to be fulfilled. I am planning to spend 70,000 KES to construct a well in one of my plots which is near the Indian ocean. In a day I can sell up to 50 jerricans and make a profit of 500 KES which is enough to cater to all my basic needs such as food and school fees. In addition, I will spend the remaining amount of the transfer to practice poultry farming which will also generate income for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In September, one of the politicians donated fresh water to our area because it is one of the affected by drought. This brought happiness to me because the water lasted for me for one month. During this time my children did not suffer from diarrhea which had become common.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Prolonged drought is the biggest hardship I am currently facing in my area. This has brought the problem of water scarcity. It has been 6 months without rain. We depend on saltwater which is not good for consumption. My 3 children have been suffering from diarrhea. This has affected me financially too because I spend 500 KES almost every 2 weeks.
