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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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Constance's Profile
Constance's family
Constance
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Motorcycle or bicycle taxi
faceAge:
25
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($479 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Yes. I do have new goal I n my life and this is because of the funds I received from Give Directly. I did buy a second hand motorcycle. With this motorcycle I can do many things that will be able to uplift my life. Firs I use it to fetch water for my home use and also for the livestock. I live in an area where we experience drought and finding water is very hard and I have to walk for several kilometers to be able to find water. Before I received this cash it was very hectic and tiresome and sometime I would go without water for some few days. I also do business with the motorcycle and from that I earn cash that I use to settle my family needs. I also bought a sewing machine that I use to sew clothes for other people and it’s also a means for me to get something that will help in catering for the needs of my children and family. Before I used to borrow from my friends or even hire but now that I have mine I will not incur additional costs in doing my business. Generally the cash fro give directly has been able to empower me to have multiple source of income and from this I am able to think out of the box and continue investing more and more so that I do not go back to the situation I was before receiving the cash. Since receiving the cash my life has changed and I thank Give Directly for their support may god bless you so much.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I give a thumbs up to give directly for giving us cash and enable us attend to the most needs that we are facing today. I greatly thank them for that.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I did purchase a second hand motorcycle which helps me in fetching water for my home use and also my livestock. The motorcycle is also used in business and brings me money to use and attend to my needs. I did buy a sewing machine that use in my other business.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
attach_money
 
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 10 o'clock when I received a message notification on my phone. I was at the hospital waiting for my turn at the que as my daughter was ill. I became so happy upon realizing that GiveDirectly had sent me the promised money and I was eager to leave the hospital so that I would finally go and pay school fees for my son who was at home as he had been sent back home to collect fee arrears.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that I have been able to reopen my tailoring business. I had closed down this business after my sewing machine had broken down and had not managed to repair it since I did not have money. Currently, I make upto KES 500 on a good day and I am glad that I can finally support my spouse in paying our bills. This has been possible since I was able to use my transfer to acquire a new sewing machine and fabrics to kick off the business.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfers, I spent KES 25000 to purchase 7 goats. This are investments to me that I can rely on in future by selling them and using the money to pay school fees for my children. I am a tailor and the sewing machine that I was using had broken down and repairing it was more expensive than the cost of buying a new one. I was able to spend KES 13000 from my transfer to purchase a new one and some fabrics for this business. Also, I spent 2000 KES to pay school fees for my son who had been sent back home and spent the remaining KES 13000 on food, clothes and other household necessities for my family.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Being a tailor my ambition has always been to start a tailoring shop to boost my income. However, this has never been achievable because I lack capital. Currently I use a rented sewing machine which requires 900 shillings a month and in most cases I fail to raise it. To make it worse, it broke down 3 months ago which means I cannot work. Receiving this money therefore means realizing my dream. I will use around 25000 shillings to purchase a sewing machine and fabrics to set up the shop. This will see an improvement in my financial status.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I am preparing children for school. The assurance that they will have a better future through education is my motivation.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability is my biggest hardship. This is because I lack a reliable source of income hence depend mostly on my husband. His motorcycle job earns him 350 shillings a day, making it difficult to meet all our needs.