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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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Samwel's Profile
Samwel's family
Samwel
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Casual labor
faceAge:
61
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($465 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?
From the first day I received initial transfer from Givedirectly, alot of transformations have happened in my household and am happy that I was able to achieve all I had planned. I now have a goal of buying a hybreed dairy cow which will provide us with more milk per day sell extra to earn income and am currently saving towards it.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by sending officers to enlighten us about the transfers. Every household made sure they have used the transfers rightfully and spent it in buying what they needed most and for the longest time it was unachievable.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving my second transfer, I managed to clear school fees arrears for my daughter who is in high school with Kshs. 25,000.I am super excited that she got an ample time to study and now she is preparing to sit for her national exams and am so thankful.I also thought of buying a heifer worth Kshs. 20,000 this will be an additional to my existing livestock which means more production of milk which I will sell to earn more income. With the remaining amount, I used to purchase food and clothing for my household members.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($499 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 10.00 am when one of my friends informed me that he had received his transfers. I immediately powered on my phone and to my surprise, the money was already in my account. I became so excited as this was the first time to receive such a huge amount and I also knew that my wife's prayer of owning a water tank had finally been answered. Upon informing her, she became so happy and also requested I buy her a water tank as it was what she desired most.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My children and spouse are nowadays happier than before and this has made my life different as I am always happy when I see their faces bright and full of smiles. This has been contributed by the water tank, solar, and battery that I purchased using the transfer. Due to this, they no longer have to go to the river in the evening looking for water for domestic use. In addition, my compound is always illuminated by light at night and my children now feel safe studying till it's late since they no longer strain when reading as they now see clearly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We bought a water tank worth KES 20000 after receiving my recent transfer. I settled on this so that we can be using it to harvest rainwater for domestic use. This is because my spouse usually has to walk for a long distance looking for water and our children would at times help her in the evening when they arrive from school. Also, I spent KES 15000 to pay school fees for my son since he had been informed that he would be sent back home if his school fees was not cleared on time. In addition to this, I spent KES 10000 on a battery and solar panel for lighting purposes. This will come in handy in the evening when my children are studying hence they will no longer be complaining that the light from our paraffin lamp is dim. Using the remaining KES 9700, I bought some clothes, food, and other household necessities for my family.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I live far from the water source. My wife and children find it challenging fetching water because it is tedious. With the first transfer, I will buy a water tank of approximately 15 dollars and set my roof well so that I can harvest water. The second transfer will be used to add one cow to the existing herd to boost on milk production and also buy 2 goats as an asset
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is mid morning because I always I see a breakthrough on the things that we had prayed for on the previous day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge I have faced is having running water. The water source is far and tedious for my wife. Purchasing and setting up a tank to hold water will really help my family a lot.