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 ($452 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?
At the moment, I live in a grass-thatched house because of financial constraints. My dream would be to build a decent house for my family. To accomplish this dream, I plan on saving at least $300 per day in ensuring that I succeed in building a decent house for my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What GiveDirectly did well was educating the community well on the enrolment process, which was transparent and fair to all. They ensured that they visited all the houses in the village and ascertain the truth of the matter. In my opinion, everything the organization did was re-marketable, thus I did not experience any inefficiencies.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Depending on a rented motorbike can be the most difficult thing that one can face. This is because, with the current economy, it is hard to raise at least $3 a day without struggling. At times, it would leave me to go home empty-handed. I am married and blessed with two children. Upon receiving my second transfer, I opted to top up $5 from the saving that I had from the initial transfer. This made it to $600 which enabled me to acquire a second-hand motorbike. I am so happy that finally; I was able to realise this dream within a short period. This was not possible before because what I earned was only enough to cater for our basic needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 7 am while on the farm weeding sukuma wiki vegetables. That's when my wife came running informing me I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was very excited and withdrew the following day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I received the transfers is the purchase of a dairy cow that now sustain my family. For the past three years, I desired one but could not afford it.
Secondly, GiveDirectly has enabled my kid to start pre-school. I am also grateful because my family has the latest clothing fashion which has made us look more decent than before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfers, I spent KES 33,000 on a dairy cow. This is now a source of milk. Initially, I used to buy a liter of milk for five years which was quite costly. This is because I used to work as a casual motorcycle rider and layman on construction sites. I used to get KES 200 a day. Since I bought the cow, the household expenses have been reduced.
I also spent KES 5,000 on reducing a land debt I had bought three years ago from a neighbor.
I also spent KES 2,000 on half a bag of maize. This is because I have a young family and my kids need to eat to grow. Initially, I used to spend KES 300 daily on household items but this has reduced.
I also spent KES 10,000 on the latest clothing fashion which is more decent. This is because the clothes we had become old and worn out and this will be key on special occasions.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Besides providing and caring for my family of 4, I have six siblings to support because my parents are separated. We are living with our mother in about 0.6 acres of land that we inherited from our grandparents. In short, we have been facing lots of uncertainties and hopelessness about our future. In that regard, receiving this money means a complete turn of events to my family. It means an end to our uncertainties and the beginning of hopes for a brighter future. This is because I will use KES 30000 of the transfer as a deposit to acquire an additional 0.2 acres of land. Also, I will spend another KES 30000 on building a bigger and better house because the one we have has a grass-thatched roof and is single-roomed. Overall, I am grateful to GiveDirectly and God for these amazing blessings.
What is the happiest part of your day?
About three weeks ago, one of my brothers acquired a motorcycle after paying a deposit of KES 10000 (to pay the other amount in installments). This achievement has attracted happiness in our family because it is a source of income. He (my brother) offers taxi services in Nairobi and usually sends us some KES 500 weekly to be used in financing our basic needs and demands. In brief, I feel somehow relieved from the financial pressures that I am having.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Making ends meet and supporting my mother and siblings acts as the biggest challenge that I am currently having because the casual jobs that I usually rely on are scarce. I usually handle manual jobs in house construction sites within my locality (earning a daily wage of KES 400). This amount is insufficient to meet the basic needs of my extended family. So, I am always worried that my siblings might drop out of school due to the lack of finances.
