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 ($517 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Living in a semi-permanent house is something I did not expect to have by now. This is because I had a low income from casual work which could not even raise enough money to meet our daily needs. I had desired to build a better, spacious and iron-roofed house for the past two years and until I received my transfers, I did not have any savings to buy materials. When I received my transfer, I knew God had answered my prayers hence I used the money to buy building materials for putting up a semi-permanent house.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GD did well to come to the village and work independently without to rely on local leadership. This helped to do away with the little quarrels in the village. I am satisfied with everything they did.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my transfer on buying building materials which I have used to complete constructing a new house. I am also in the same category as my neighbours who have iron-roofed houses. I have lived in a grass thatched house for long now. I also used part of the transfer to buy household items such as food and bedding. We have not been having good bedding because they were bought two years ago and during the rainy seasons, my family has not been having comfortable nights. I am glad they will be sleeping well because of the transfers. I paid fees for my children who had been sent home two days earlier before I got the transfers. I could have not have been satisfied with the cash without having an investment and this is why I used part of the transfer to buy goats as investment and remembrance of GD.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($532 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
For a long time, I used to live in a small old and leaking house which was grass thatched. My children also had to seek for a sleeping place at my neighbor's house because my house was not spacious. I always wanted to change this situation by building a more comfortable house but my financial status would not allow me. The biggest difference in my daily life, therefore, is the fact that we now live in a spacious and comfortable house. I was able to do this using the financial support I received from Give Directly. I am glad that my children are healthy and even have extra space where they can study and do their homework without any disturbances.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 3:30 am when I heard the notification message on my mobile phone. When I checked what it was all about, I realized it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. They had sent my first transfer. Due to the excitement that I had, I could not sleep, we celebrated with my family till dawn.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some building materials. I managed to buy iron sheets, building poles, nails, and some timber. I intended to build another house. My previous house was very small with holes all over the walls. Since I am a widow and jobless this was really stressing me and I was almost giving up in life. In addition to building my house, I also bought enough foodstuffs with the remaining amount of money. Due to my poverty life, we used to starve or sometimes getting a single meal a day. We have not been getting a good harvest for a while because of the harsh climatic changes.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Owning a separate house, buying livestock and supporting my children's education is what receiving this money means to me. Currently, I am living in a single roomed structure with my co wife and our children with some of them spending their nights on the floor. My wish has been to construct a spacious house for myself when I receive my first transfer from GiveDirectly. This will restore the long lost respect from our children, since it is a taboo in our community to sleep with grown up boys in the same room. I also plan to spend the second disbursement on livestock and supporting my children's education. This will change our livelihood, a transformation that I have longed for.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning, I prepare my children to school and after they have gone, I am also required to fetch water from a tap that is three kilometers away from my home. On arrival, I am still forced to go and collect the coconut wine from different tapers. I come home in the afternoon to prepare a lunch meal for my children before I leave to my business site. I usually stay at my camping site up to ten o'clock when I come back home to rest. This is the moment I get ample time to rest and therefore, I consider it being the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Since my husband died ten years ago, selling coconut wine is what I have known for my living. This job is very risky since it requires me to camp at the selling site up to odd hours. Considering its little income, I am required to provide for my children's education, clothing and other basic needs. Most of the time, my children are sent out of school due to lack of fee, something that makes them not to concentrate much in their studies. In other cases, we even skip our meals and therefore, I consider lack of a reliable source of income as my biggest hardship.
