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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a widow and the only breadwinner in my family. My eldest son completed his secondary education and is yet to join college to continue with his education. I am not financially stable because I do not have a job. I have been surviving by working on manual jobs such as burning charcoal for sale. The little I earn is only enough to feed my family and I have nothing left to save or even take my children to school. When I received my transfer, I saved KSH 1000 of the money in a Chama. Through the Chama, I will get a loan and pay the required amount to enroll my son into college. I then spent the remaining amount of money in buying maize flour, sugar, beans, tea leaves, washing detergent and water. Because of the drought, it’s challenging to harvest food from the farm and I have to buy all the food from the shop and water at very high prices.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my Opinion, GiveDirectly does well in terms of helping the needy in society. Many people are very happy due to the help they have received from GiveDirectly. The tough times have affected almost every household making life unbearable. Through the help that we have gotten, we can uplift our lives.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have a son who finished his secondary education and passed very well. Due to financial challenges, I was not able to take him to college. Well, he then opted to engage in manual jobs to raise money for his college. He is very passionate about joining college and continuing with her education. To support him in his quest to continue with his education, I decide to join a Chama where I will save enough money, get a loan and enroll him in college. When I received the transfer, it gave me a huge boost towards my savings in the Chama. I spent KSH 1500 from the transfer as savings. I also spent KSH 1000 to buy food for my family. My food stock in the house was getting finished and I had to buy more food. Before receiving the transfer I had incurred a debt of KSH 500. The situation was very tough and I went ahead and bought some food on credit for my family. When I received the transfer I used part of the money to clear the debt I had.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt happy because I had completely forgot about the program and that they were going to be sending money to help us in our day to day lives and so I was surprised they actually kept their word and were true to what they had promise and informed us about.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
As of now,it is the help I received in settling almost half of the debts I had which was a huge help but in the near future I plan on sending my child to college so that they can acquire some skills that would later on help them in life and enable them to be sustainable in their life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received the money at that time I had otstanding debts from loans that I had taken previously so that I could get fare to help my son travel so when the money came in I had an pending debt of KES 1500 and after the money I paid with the KES 1200 I had received and thankfully I was left with only a balance of KES 300 that I planned on finishing.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means taking my last-born daughter to further her studies and a completed structure for me. Due to lack of financial resources, my daughter has remained at home for about nine months now. She performed well in her secondary school. I have always feared her stay at home may lead to her getting married or even the worst of it getting impregnated within my household. This money will now enable me to take her to college to make her a reliable person in the future. I will feel happy going forward.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Mornings form the happiest part of my day. Waking up while knowing I have food to eat for the day gives me a reason to smile. However, this does not come daily for I have several days going without food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
life has been very difficult for me since my husband passed away a year ago. My last-born daughter was in form four by then. In most cases, I fail to provide some of our basic needs like food and other necessary needs for my daughter. I have always depended on casual jobs including charcoal burning to earn me 300 KES on weekly basis and this cannot sustain our needs including taking my daughter for further studies. Therefore, lacking a reliable source of income is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.
