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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($483 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Yes. I have an additional goal of opening another business branch. I own a retail shop in one of the local markets and it is my main source of income. It is doing well although whatever I earn from it can only meet the most basic needs like food. I recently constructed a business premise next to our home with the second transfer. Therefore, I will be opening another retail shop on that premise so that I can have time to monitor my poultry project which I recently started.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Give Directly is doing a good job by giving people unconditional cash. Getting money with the current economy is very challenging and it was such a noble idea to support people with no strings attached.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my recent transfer on an egg incubator worth KES 45000. I recently started rearing chicken for laying eggs. So far I have 160 chicks but my target is 400 by mid this year. The egg incubator will come in handy and once they get to 400 then I will start selling them. By then I believe I will be earning a good income from the sales. I am hopeful that with the additional income I will be able to set aside some savings for my children's school fees once they get to secondary school. KES 20000 I spent on building materials (iron sheets, nails, and timber) which I used to construct a business premise. I currently own a retail shop in one of the local markets but since I want to monitor the poultry project, I will open another retail shop near home so that I can get time to closely monitor the progress of the poultry. I am hopeful that my household's living standards will improve with the additional income.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($489 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I spend my days at my shop, which is my main source of income. One morning, at about 8 a.m while going about my normal duties, I received a message indicating that I had received KES 55,000. Words can not describe how happy I was to receive money that could enable me accomplish many of my goals.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
What has been most exciting about receiving this cash transfer is the purchase of a dairy cow. Before, we didn't have one. We, therefore, had to buy milk at KES 40 a litre every morning. This was not financially sustainable for us, because I earn just KES 500 a day from the shop. So it was a huge relief to receive this donation and acquire the cow. We can now save the money we would spend on buying milk and use it to meet other needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My family of four currently lives in a rented house. This is costly for me, especially since I only earn approximately KES 500 a day from my shop. So I was excited to purchase material for the construction of our house, including timber and iron sheets. I plan on completing its construction once I receive the next transfer. I also spent KES 28,000 on a dairy cow to ensure that we have a good supply of milk.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a shopkeeper mainly dealing on households items in the nearest Kayeba market. I have leased a shop where I operate from. I started with a small barbershop then expanded it to a general shop. The place I operate from is small and I cannot expand anymore. I have always wanted to build my spacious shop but I have had to balance between building it and also maintaining the operational cash flow. Since give direct have come to our village to assist us with the transfers, I am halfway glad that my ambition is coming to fruition. I intend to build a structure worth KES 75000. I will use the rest of the money to repay the loan balance I took from microfinance.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My ordinary day for me starts very early in the morning. I set to attend to my shop up to late in the evening, around 10 pm. My happiest day is in the evening, this is the time where I get most of the clients, it is so shifting and rewarding when people buy from my shop.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I started my business with a loan of KES 100000 from Juhudi Kilimo microfinance. Repaying the loan has been an headache for me because sometimes the business is bad and cannot generate enough returns to repay the loan and make profits. This has weighed down on me especially during the time of the covid19 pandemic .I almost closed shop since I was expected to repay it with an interest. Business needs a lot of patience and commitment.
