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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The biggest difference in my life because of these transfers is I have rented my own house now. I have been living with my friend because I was not able to rent a house. I did not have any source of income which I could rely on to pay rent on a monthly basis. This is why I had to put up with a friend and help him financially when I could. He understood my situation and decided to support me. I am glad now, I am able to support myself with the transfers and I am independent. Without the transfers, I would still be living with him.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to start my own workshop. By the time I am finishing the course, I want to have started my own workshop. I would not want to stay for long without getting involved in what I have studied for. It will be a waste of transfers if I don't get a workshop where I can practise the knowledge.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer on paying for a carpentry course which I am currently undertaking. I registered for the course because of the transfers. Without the transfers, I would not have registered for the course since I did not have the income to help me pay for it. I have saved some amount of transfer just for security reasons. Just in case I have any financial need, I do not go begging. The rest of it I used on buying food. We did not have enough to even last us for a week hence I decided to boost the stock I had left.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
3997 KES ($39 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I was still living with my parents before at the time I was enrolled into the program which was due to my lack of income that made it impossible for me to be independent. After I started receiving the transfers, I got the courage to move out and rent a place of my own which gave me a sense of independence and forced me to man up and raise the money to pay my bills. I am now an independend man with goals and dreams an no longer the lazy boy that depeneded on his parents for every financiall needs.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
After my friend whom we had partnered with to run a carpentry workshop left the city to attend to family issues, the workshop had to be closed down. This has had a great effect on my income because this what I fully depended on, but I have plans of having the workshop running again as soon as possible. I decided to have a full training on carpentry so that I can be making furniture and selling at the workshop which I will now be running on my own.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I started receiving these transfers, I teamed with a friend of mine who was a carpenter to run a workshop in a commercial room that I had. Since then I had been taking carpentry lessons from him while also helping with the sales of the furniture he made. Unfortunately, the business came tumbling down a few months ago when he was forced to drop everything and rush to his hometown to attend to some family emergencies which have kept him there ever since. To be able to continue running the business, I decided to pay for carpentry courses at another workshop to complete the training I had started taking from my friend. This month, I used most of my transfer to pay for the training then spent the rest on rent payment and purchasing of foodstuff.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
5000 KES ($48 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I used to stay in my dads' house but then I eventually moved out and got my own place where I pay my own rent without stress. One thing I am happy about is the fact that I have my own job which of course generates income for me every month. I am sure that I will not go back to my father's house even if the transfers are stopped because the income I get from my job is enough to sustain me.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I have a plan of going back to school and learning the craft of being a better carpenter than who I am today. There are advanced techniques and procedures which I am yet to learn so I believe this is the right opportunity for me to get to learn such techniques so that I can be able to become much better and versatile in terms of doing my work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the money on paying my monthly rental obligations since I now live in my own house away from my father's house where I used to live before the organization started sending the transfers. Apart from that, I also used the money to boost my work as a carpenter by buying tools and equipment which I use to carry my day to day duties at my workshop.
4th Payment
Transfer Amount
5000 KES ($50 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My goal now that I have started receiving the money is to start a business. I am planning to open hardware at the place where I have built my hall. I will use the income I will get after leasing the hall to people who need it to start this business. I preferred hardware because I have once operated it thus I know so well where to get materials at a cheaper price. Owning hardware and the hall will increase my daily income and this will help me cater to my needs as well as support my siblings.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving payments from GiveDirectly is that I am nowadays living a happy life. This is because my mind is now at peace knowing that I have been able to build a hall in the piece of and my grandfather gave me as my inheritance. This will always keep off people who have been thinking that the plot had no owner and others even attempted to build some structures on it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had been saving my transfers since the time I started receiving them. When I received my most recent one, I used the whole amount including my savings to buy some building materials like timber, irons, sheets, nails and in hiring some workers to help me in building a hall. I will be renting this hall to different people and this will make me earn some money. I will be saving my income from this hall so that I will further invest them in something else.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
I felt so happy the moment I started receiving my money since I knew that I would be able to use the money to accomplish my dreams. Having no money is like a disability in our region especially due to the hard economy since one can achieve little or nothing at all. Truly, this money came in the time I needed most and I give all thanks to God for making GiveDirectly Mathare instead of other slums in Nairobi.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I prioritize like that because I would like to start my own business of buying and selling waste timber since I have the knowledge and skills by working for someone else. If I get this money I will start my own so that I be independent and also have stable income to sustain myself. Secondly, I will go to school and acquired more skills on business entrepreneurship so that I can have exact knowledge on how to sustain a business and grow to an extend that I can create employment and also live a descent life than where I am now. Lastly, I will also pay house rent with this money because sometimes it's a challenge I don't get enough for my rent and therefore my landlord comes to threaten to close my door and kick me out so I would love to have a piece of mind where I stay.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is achieving my ambitions because until now I still don't see the light at the end of the tunnel but am still hopeful that I will achieve my goals so that I can live my life the way I want it. Secondly, am worried of my future family. Whether I will be able to provide for the as the breadwinner and meet all their needs. I want my family to live a better life than mine. Lastly, unemployment is another concern because without a job it's very hard to sustain myself and even meet daily needs and therefore I hope at no point I won't be fully unemployed.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambition in life is to be a well known actors internationally. By this I will have gained more respect from people and also I will have achieved my dreams. At this level I can also support the needy and provide for my family as required.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
In the morning once I wake up I prepare myself then take tea. After that I go to work as usual. Sometimes I finish at 2pm or even later around 4pm then I come back. At my free time I can go chat with my friends or go play drums as am still learning so mostly I go for practices until 6pm in the evening. Then go back home to watch movies as I wait to prepare supper eat them sleep.
