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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Coming up with this project is such a great gesture from give directly as I now have a chance to go back to school. In my opinion, I wouldn't say that there is something give directly is not doing right but from the rumors, I heard people are missing out on their transfers. I fear it may happen to me too thus disrupting my saving plans. That is, in as much as I am always online, other times, it could happen that I am unreachable and this could cause me to miss out on the transfer. Maybe if this was looked into, I could appreciate it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before I took my maternity leave, I used to work as a teacher. My plan was to resume this year in November but before I do so I want to go back to school in May to get a teaching certificate. This will not only help me stand out at work but also secure my job. To join college, I need KES26000. So, I plan to save up and by May, I will have KES15,000. Hopefully, my husband who owns a wholesale shop will top up the rest of the amount.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
When give directly visited my village, I did not know of the organization. Since there were also rumors that the cash donation program was a lie, I was in so much doubt. Therefore, when I received the funds, I believed in the organization and I was felt with so much gratitude towards give directly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before received the funds, I was just a housewife. I also had plans of going back to the ECD college in May to continue with my classes but I wasn't sure where I will get my school fee. Now, I am certain that by the time I resume class, I would have gathered part of the college fee. So, starting from my next transfer, I will be saving ksh2000 towards it. Even though it will not get to ksh26000 which is the full amount, I will have something to start me off.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used to be an ECD college student but I had to take a maternity break on 2nd of September. Since my child is still young, I have not yet resumed my classes. On the other hand, I have two children in school who currently have school fee arrears of ksh2200. It has been hard to clear this debt since my husband barely makes any profits from his shopkeeping job. So, when I received the funds, I used ksh800 to reduce the arrears and whatever remained I used it on food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
This is a dream come true for me. I plan to go back to school and finish my Early Childhood Education course that I had already started at Kilifi town. Initially I taught as unqualified teacher in a local school called Kabatheni Primary School, but I wanted to improve my earnings so I decided to go for studies to get full employment. But again I had to drop out of this just after the first year because of financial challenges. At this time I was still working for the school and they couldn't pay me agreed amount every month as they were experiencing their own challenges too. I eventually had to quit and so I couldn't go on with my studies because I couldn't fund it anymore. I do not want to keep depending on my husband for every financial need which is why I need to get economically involved. The course was costing 8k per academic term and I need 3 more terms to finish diploma level.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was really happy when I got to deliver my third baby without an operation. It was always so scary throughout that pregnancy as the clinician that used to attend to me during antenatal visits insisted that I could not go through normal delivery because my baby was lying in a poor position. I thank God it didn't have to go down that way.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Unemployment makes it really difficult for me to afford normal life in this village. We have to buy nearly everything since the onset of this prolonged draught ranging from water, food to hay for our animals. This condition has overly inflated the cost of living to an extent that I can't afford it anymore. I just wish I could go back to my teaching job but the school still owes me a lot.
