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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3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($492 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Currently, my life is different from how it was in that my living standards have changed. I moved out of the area that had insecurity and rented a nice house where I do not worry anymore of the security of my family members. Besides that, I have learned tactics of running a business which I did not know since I used to be a housewife. It is only when I got my transfer that I thought of starting a business. I run an Mpesa shop and cosmetic shop. I can not regret but thank GiveDirecly for the financial support.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to have a wholesale were all commodities are stocked. There are few people having a wholesale business. I envy them. I know that when I reach this level, I will be able to get more profit that I can use to accomplish our family goals.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the whole transfer on boosting my business. I running an Mpesa and cosmetic shop which I started with the previous transfers. In the past three months, my customers were not getting the items that they wanted due to the low stock. I am glad that I used the money to restock my shop since I have always wanted to be reliable. I can already see a difference in terms of sales which have increased. Lossing this business will mean going back to be a housewife which I do not want to think about. I have been financially empowered and want to use the profits to support our family goals.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
37152 KES ($360 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
attach_money
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different from how it was in that, I started my own business. I do not depend on my husband for everything but instead, help him handle some of the bills. We do not also borrow foodstuff from the shop like we used to do.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I do not have a new goal at the moment. I still want to boost my business. I want my business to grow into a wholesale shop where their can be flow of money from time to time. This will allow me to meet most of the family goals.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had a business but it had collapsed a few months ago. I can remember doing well until the stock went down. Being unable to restock it on time made me see my business collapse. I had to stay at home just depending on my husband which also led to lots of debts. I had tried a lot of ways of bringing my business back on track but I could not because of financial constraints. When I got my first transfer, I started my business. When I got the second one just recently, I spent all of it on restocking my business. I want my business to grow. When I started the business, I was only doing cosmetic products but now it has expanded because I have a saloon as well as an Mpesa. I am glad and my aim is to grow it into a wholesale.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($194 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to boost my business even more. I do not want a situation where customers will come to my shop and be turned away just because of a shortage of a commodity. By expanding this business, I am sure that I will generate more income and have better living standards for my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I managed to start my own business with GiveDirectly transfers. The fact that I am self-employed makes me happy because I have been able to take care of the family's needs, something that I could not do in the past. Previously, I was just a housewife who depended on my husband to provide almost everything for the family. He was the breadwinner. Being able to chip in on our budgets and some of the goals that we have as a family has made me a focused and a proud woman.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer on starting up a business. I have started an Mpesa and a cosmetic shop. Previously, I was just a housewife who entirely depended on my husband to meet most of my family's needs. At times I could feel embarrassed asking him for money but I had no option since I had not gotten a job to sustain myself. Nowadays, I am self-employed and I do not feel like a burden to him anymore because I have been able to have my own income and lend a helping hand to my husband. It feels so good to do this as his wife.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
The moment I received my transfer I felt very because. I hardly had any money at that time. I checked my phone at around 1:00 am when I heard it vibrate. There were two messages; one that was informing me about the transfer and the other one was from a friend. she was also informing me that she had received hers. Out of joy, I decided to call some of my friends and share the good news with them. I hardly had a wink from then till morning as I planned on how best I was going to utilize the money.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My first priority for spending this transfer is to invest in a new business of selling cosmetics.I will first use the money to rent a shop possibly in Huruma, then also buy cosmetic products.I opted for a cosmetic business because from research many ladies in Nairobi follow trends and they use a lot of money to look good,that is where cosmetics come in handy.The market is readily available and the profit from selling cosmetics is high.I will be able to have a stable income hence provide for my basic needs.
My second priority is to use part of the transfer to pay school fees for my children. My husband and I sometimes struggle to pay for their education and they are sent home for fee. Paying for their school fees will enable my children stay in school and not miss out on any school activities.
Lastly I have wanted a better environment for my family, I will use the transfer to move out of Mathare slums and find a better environment for my children. This environment is not conducive for their up bringing. There are various issues that arise here including drug abuse, crime, poor sanitation and police brutality. Young boys engaged in crime and they die at a young age. I don't want that life for my children.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is not meeting my daily needs because, my children will not go to school, eat or have clothes to wear. I worry a lot that I will not be able to provide quality education to my children and that me and my husband will have failed as parents. I did not manage to finish my school due to lack of capital for my school fees, as a young mother I do not want my children to drop out of school and go through what I have gone through at my young age. I want them to finish all levels of education,find good jobs and later help me and my husband we are old.
What are your greatest ambitions?
I want to be a successful business woman, I want to build my own empire, sell cosmetics and later on venture into gas business. I want to be a supplier of gas fuel within Nairobi.
I will be able to sustain my livelihood, provide education to my children and live a better life of no worries.Being successful in business will lead to my financial stability and I will also be able to buy land and build my own house in future. I currently do not know where I will build it but I want have moved out of Mathare slums.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
I wake up as early as 5:00am in the morning, prepare my two children for school, cook breakfast then take them to school. I then go back home and start doing my house chores until around 10:00am. I am normally indoors taking care of my younger child the whole day until evening when I go to fetch my children back from school. After arriving home I help them with their homework then prepare supper.We eat as a family and I retire to bed for the next day.
On my free time I watch movies and sometimes invite my friends to hang out and socialize.
