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 ($436 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal in the coming year would be to add a parcel of land and also initiate a poultry project. I plan on saving money from my tailoring business once it is fully operational and stable. I am so grateful for the financial support that gave us financial freedom.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The support from GiveDirectly has impacted the lives of numerous individuals. I reached a crucial turning point in my life when I was able to initiate a tailoring business. We are grateful for the opportunity to improve our lives beyond our expectations. The work that the organization does is a great job of uplifting the lives of the neediest in society. I have not witnessed any inefficiencies.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My dream and passion have always been to be a tailor. Though, this was not easy because of financial constraints. Since I am a single mother of two children. I used to do any available job to make ends meet, but unfortunately, what I earned was barely enough to cater to all our basic needs. Upon receiving my second transfer, I used $300 to buy a sewing machine and enrolled in tailoring lessons from one of my friends. With dedication, I will be able to employ myself. I then bought a parcel of land worth $200 and finally used the remaining amount on foodstuffs. I am so happy to have accomplished a lot within a short period, which seemed impossible before due to financial constraints.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($460 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I spent KES 46,000 on purchasing a piece of land. This was my priority since I had always wished to own land. This was not possible before since I depend on casual jobs and the money that I would get was so small. Currently, I have owned the land and I am planning on building a house and starting horticulture farming. The remaining amount of money I spent on food and household Items that we were lacking. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfill my dream of owning land.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest in my daily life is that I have purchased a piece of land. This has been my main concern since I lived with my parents and I did not have land to do farming. I depend mainly on casual jobs and the amount of money that I get through this is so small and I was not in a position to save. There are so many recurrent needs that needed money. Sometimes I would sell fetch firewood in the forest and sell to earn an income. When GiveDirectly come to enroll us I felt so happy and it gave me hope that I had lost before. Currently, I have a piece of land and this had given me hope. Were it not GiveDirectly all this would have taken quite to happen. I am waiting for the second transfer to start building a house and relocate with my children. I have started to plow yet to do horticulture farming. I will be able to get enough produce to feed my children. The surplus I will sell to earn an income to meet other basic needs of my family. GiveDirectly has changed my living standard to be much better than before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 46,000 on purchasing a piece of land. This was my priority since I had always wished to own land. This was not possible before since I depend on casual jobs and the money that I would get was so small. Currently, I have owned the land and I am planning on building a house and starting horticulture farming. The remaining amount of money I spent on food and household Items that we were lacking. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfill my dream of owning land.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a great relief to me as a single parent of two. I came out of an abusive marriage five years ago, with no capital no savings, and two young children. I did not get to have a quality education due to poverty at home. I have been doing odd jobs including tea picking all these years. Life became very hard and I had to go back to my parent's home where I was given a small old house that used to be our kitchen. I live to mouth at the moment, and the school-related costs including school fees are weighing me down, making me stressed and depressed. With this money, I plan to purchase a quarter an acre of land for KES 50,000. For the rest, I will purchase a cow, so I won't be purchasing milk like I'm doing now. It will reduce my daily expenditure hence I can live a better life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the last three months, we have been experiencing heavy rainfall. There have been a lot of farm activities, hence I could get some work to earn me an income. I have been able to buy school uniform for my children and it really made me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is financial constraints. I do not have a stable job, I depend on off jobs including weddings, and other da activities. Being a dry area, these jobs also are rare to come by and they are not well paying. When I get KES 150 a day, it goes to food and paying school fees for my children. I do not get a chance to save for other things.
