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 ($442 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?
My new goal is to be able to start a small business. I have in mind cereal selling business. This is a business that I had initially started but which later collapsed due to lack of capital to continue with the said business. I am now very optimistic that I will be able to rise again and run this business once I get enough money. Having used some of my money to buy a dairy cow, I am looking forward to that dairy cow calving where I will use proceeds from sale of milk to start this business.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well by giving us support in form of cash and allowing each and every person to make a decision on their own on how they were going to spend the money. The fact that there were no conditions on how to spend the money made it possible for all of us to make decisions independently.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 35000 to buy a dairy cow and used the remaining amount to buy food for the family. We are a young family of one and we had not owned any cow until we received support from GiveDirectly. My husband is a motorcycle rider while I do subsistence farming at home to help make ends meet. We feel so lucky and happy to have received the transfer from GiveDirectly and for the things that we were able to accomplish with it. We have been boosted at the start of our lives as a young couple and we are looking forward to achieving much more.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($475 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was very early in the morning around 6 am. I was preparing breakfast for my family. When I heard a message notification from my phone. When I check it out I could not believe my eyes. It was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and immediately informed my family members and everyone was so happy. I knew I would be able to purchase building materials and build a better house for my family. I withdraw the money the following day and started to go plan with my family. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is building a better and more spacious house for my family. We lived in a small grass thatched house which was leaking from inside. I had always wished to own a better house but I did not have the money to purchase the building materials. I depend on small-scale farming and casual jobs. This was my main source of income. Sometimes when there were no jobs it was so demoralizing since there was nowhere to get the money for food. The biggest worry was my children they were being exposed to cold and this was so risky. When I received the transfer from GiveDirectly I felt so happy and immediately decided that my main focus was building the house. Currently, the construction has been completed and now we live in a better and more spacious house. We no longer get worried whenever there is rain since the house is warm. My children are so happy and grateful for this support. GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 40,000 on purchasing the building material and started to build a better house for my family. We lived in a small grass thatched house which was leaking from inside. This was so demoralizing and stressful, especially during the rainy season. Currently, we have a decent and spacious house. We are so grateful for the support. The rest of the money I spend on food and other household items that we were lacking at that particular time.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money is a great boost for us. We are polygamous, I am the first wife. My husband had to marry another wife because I never conceived for a very long time, almost 10 years. In the kipsigis culture, a man is allowed to marry a second wife. The land we live in is small and we are people of little means. More focus was shifted to the second wife because of upkeep for her children. I have been living a life of destitution full of misery. The land was recently subdivided amongst the son and we have to shift to a new part where our share fall. This help could not have come at a better time than this since it will enable us to relocate to our piece of land. We intend to build a house of 24 iron sheets that will cost approximately KES 30000.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last year in August we were blessed with a bouncing baby boy after 10 years of anguish. I was so overjoyed, I cannot even find words to express my happiness since I had been despised and rejected by the society. In the Kipsigis culture, when the wife does not conceive it is the wife who is blamed.That thing became a thing of the past when I got the boy, I named him "Happiness".
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial challenge is the greatest problem. Our income does not make the ends meet. It is a real problem, I am very worried and I do not know what the next day brings. Even money to buy maize for household consumption is a problem, we eat and dress poorly.I am so afraid that my child will be malnutritioned as a result of a poor diet.
