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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 > Esther's Profile
Esther's family
Esther
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Street trading - non-food (self-employed)
faceAge:
35
workCampaign
FSD / Urban Youth
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($482 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?
Currently, my life is different from how it was before GiveDirectly came into my life. I am now able to save some money unlike before when I could squander everything I got on a daily basis. My business is doing well because I was able to boost it with part of the money which I got from this organization. My children also used to lack a lot of things but I am glad that I am able to take care of the needs easily at the moment
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I don't have a new goal at the moment. I want to continue saving. I want to buy a motorcycle or land where I can build rental houses. I am still doing research for what will work best among the two and what will be required of me to ensure that whatever I settle on becomes successful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I kept part of my transfer as savings. I want to buy land or a motorcycle later depending on what I will have accumulated. The two assets are capable of changing my life since they can both generate income and supplement what I normally get from casual jobs. I also managed to boost my business. This business is what I have been depending on. I have operated it for two years now but it was not doing well. Actually, I can say that it was almost collapsing and I had to boost it a little so that it can gain its momentum.
 
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
36800 KES ($367 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before GD came to be, I used to do business but in small scale. The stock I had could get over and many days I was forced to close down because of lack of stock. Currently, I am among the shops with all kind of clothes both men, women, and children. This had seen my customer base increase because of consistency and quality. My revenue income has also increased.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I currently do not have any new goals apart from the one of building a better a house to save on the rent that I pay monthly to my landlord. With the new house, I will have more freedom and even channel the amount th\t used to pay rent to my business.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my recent transfer, I spent a bigger chunk of the money on my savings. I am planning to build a house to channel the money I pay on rent for my business. This way, it will boost my earning. The remaining amount I restocked my second- hand clothe business and I now enjoy the profits from the business.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($200 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 new additional goal is savings in our group. If we join up well as a team and realize the dream of buying a piece of land and building rental houses, I know we will have a good life because that is an investment which appreciates yearly and requires very little maintenance.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is my business. I used part of the transfer to boost my cloth business by adding more stock because it was almost no more. I had used most of the resources from the business for my family needs and I was not re-investing anytime I had money. This really affected the sales and the capital. When I received the transfer, I remembered where the business started from and how it has helped me. I went and added more stock and am glad it's picking up well. I know when I get higher profits, I will be able to solve most of my family needs in time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my first transfer on savings in our group. The savings will be used in buying a piece of land for building rental houses. This will be an investment for my group and an income generating asset. I also used part of the transfer boosting my cloth business by adding more stock. The rest of it I used on paying school fees for my children so that they may not be sent home and to buy school requirements such as books, socks and pens.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
I was very happy because I had never received such amount of money in my life before. I just thought this was a promise NGOs make but don't fulfil. I never went for my normal casual work at a construction site because of the kind of joy I had that day.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
 
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My plan is to boost my existing business which is selling of second hand clothes by adding more stock, I also want to invest in boda boda business so I intend to buy a motorcycle. Saving is also my plan because I am involved in table banking Chama and I save so that can improve my life and make it better.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is unemployment because without employment it is not easy to achieve your ambitions and also meeting your daily sustenance needs especially in the slum.
What are your greatest ambitions?
To open a big business where I will own a big shop of second hand clothes in the city centre that will enable me to buy land and build my own house. Education for my children who I also want to see them have a bright future and become important people in the society and that are not lacking anything in life.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
I wake up early in the morning I prepare for tea, I then wake my children we have breakfast together. Then they leave to go to school, I continue with house responsibility like cleaning, then I take a shower head to the market and buy second hand clothes for selling I then come back at my usual place of business and wait for customers, during lunch time I take my lunch at a nearest hotel come back to work and stay until 7pm then go back to my house prepare food for my children take super then we go to sleep. On my free time I watch movies together with my children.