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
53150 KES ($492 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different that it would have been if I had never received the transfer in that I am living in a spacious and comfortable house with my family. Previously, the house that we had been owning was very small and not enough to accommodate all our household commodities. In addition, through this transfer I was able to start livestock rearing like others in the village a future investment for the family. I will be able to sale the livestock when they multiply to educate my children. Furthermore, I was able to acquire enough clothes and purchased adequate food staff for the family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well for coming up with the cash transfer program which has improved the living standards of many households. In addition, every household that qualified was included without any discrimination. I don't see anything that it does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent $300 to complete the construction of my house by purchasing 22 iron sheets, timber and paying labour charges. This is because my house was small and single roomed which was not spacious to fully accommodate my commodities. In addition, I spent $100 to acquire clothes for I and my children since we lacked enough clothing. The remaining amount assisted us on purchasing adequate food stuff for the family because for years we had been experiencing drought in our village.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home having lunch with my family. I hadn't checked my phone for a while and when I reached for it, I saw a pending message. I checked the message and it was the Mpesa message. I was very very happy as I knew my life was about to change for the better.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I can now build a bigger and more spacious house. My family and I can now live in a more spacious and better house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfers to build a better and more spacious house for my family. I have one child who is one and a half years old. I am a housewife while my husband is a construction worker. We have been living in a small house that is also one-roomed. I am happy that my family and I can now live at a more comfortable house.
Enrolled
access_time almost 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always wanted to build another house since my current house is very tiny. It is just one single room. I plan on using 300 USD to build a two roomed house. I will then use 150 USD to buy 5 goats. Goats easily survive in this kind of dry climate compared to cows. The goats will help me a lot when I start paying school fees for my child. I also want to start a grocery business just beside the road where I live. I have owned a grocery before and it was a good business venture which I would wish to restart. I will invest 150 USD into this.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I rise up early to go to my farm by 7am in the morning. I come back at 11 am and do other house chores within my compound. When evening comes,I take time to relax and chat with my mother in law and other family members. This is the happiest part of my day since I put my worries aside and have time to laugh.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Family life comes with a lot of responsibilities. I am a young mother of one and providing food for my child is not an easy job. I never realized this until I became a mother. My spouse works as a casual labourer in a nearby town and what he gets is not enough to sustain all our needs. I am at home farming but the dry climate in this region limits what I get from my farm. This has made us struggle a lot in putting food on the table and satisfying other needs like clothes and shelter. Lack of enough income is therefore the biggest hardship in my life.
