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?
Give directly has done very well in helping me establish myself. Through the funds that I am receiving from them, I believe I will be able to renovate my house and have my children live in a better environment. However, the organization can do better if they send the cash in bulk. This will help with working on our projects promptly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
On this day my child was very sick and I did not have any money to take them to the hospital. So, when I got the funds from give directly, I took her to get some medical help. The balance that remained is what I used to buy some maize flour. This is because feeding my six children has been a challenge. My work as a charcoal manufacturer only pays me KES 2400. It has also been worse ever since the droughts started. My plantations were destroyed. Being a second wife in a family of 18 children, I try my best not to be too dependent on my husband.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was on my way to fetch water, at around 8 AM, when the I received my transfer. Upon returning home, I rushed to withdraw the money since I was in dire need of it. I felt very happy since the cash would help slice the load of hardships in my house.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference I see in my life when I started receiving transfers from Give Directly is the greater joy in my heart. I trust the organization will have my back and lift me up through the monthly payments whenever responsibilities like school fees and food provision weigh on me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I prioritized supporting the education of my children from the first transfer by paying school fees worth KES 1,000. I used the rest of the money to secure food and buying a chicken for rearing. All the cash was depleted from these expenditures, hence I could not save any amount.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means owning a new house and a business at the same time. My current house is very old plus many cracks on the walls. This has been life-threatening because the weak walls might collapse anytime from now. I am always worried whenever I retire to bed at night. I am planning to use 40,000KES to construct a two-bedroom house for my family of eight. One bedroom will host my children while the second bedroom will be for my husband and I. I will use a further 30,000KES to start a modern grocery in the neighboring trading center. The profits from the grocery will help me assist my husband in raising our children because I will chip in whether it comes to paying school fees, buying food and any other family need.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My young sister gave birth to her first son two weeks ago fter spending six years in marriage without a baby. This brought joy in my life because I could feel the struggles my sister was going through in those six years. Stigma even derailed her further and he was in the verge of giving up but God was faithful and she was blessed with a baby boy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge I am currently facing is lack of money to raise my family something that has made me engage in energy-draining occupations such as burning charcoal. This has affected my health and sometimes I experience some breathing problems. Moreover, the returns are very low. A 90kg bag of charcoal goes for 800KES; an amount that cannot sustain a family even for two days. Life has been miserable because the highest number of 90kgs bags of charcoal I can manage in a month are 4 with the help of my husband.
