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 ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been becasue the transfers empowered me to start a hotel and vegetable becasue. Previously I used to solely depend on om casual jobs which could sometimes not sustain all the needs for my family. Sometimes I could opt to think of a plan B and apply for a loan majorly for y children's education I was always frustrated becasue I could always fail to pay it back on time. For now, I can comfortably meet my family's needs without strain becasue of the two sources of income. My children are now in school and since I have been able to pay their fees in advance, they will no longer gave to worry about the issue of being sent home and missing exams as before.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Giveirectly does well in almost all the sectors and I do not see any part that they failed us. One, we were well informed on how to protect our money becasue most of us was our first-time owning phones, the knowledge really helped us. Also, there was no discrimination and everyone has enrolled accordingly. In addition, the fact that after every transfer we were being followed up and showed GiveDirectly really cared about us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying livestock such as goats worthy of KES 15000. These have been the well thoughtful living assets that I have been longing to keep in my compound. I also bought few building materials such as building poles to finish constructing my house which I had initially started constructing using the first transfer. Later I gave the mason KES 7000 as his labor fee. I also cleared fees for my son who is in secondary school and he was about to sit for an exam. Finally, I bought enough foodstuffs for my children and decent clothes.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at my hotel at around 1300Hrs. I heard a message come into my phone and on checking my phone, it was the Mpesa message. I was very very happy. I am truly grateful to GiveDirectly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own goats and I can build a bigger and more spacious house for my family. We can now live comfortably instead of squeezing in our current grass thatched roof.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfers to build a house, to buy two goats and to pay school fees for my children. I have six children and I run a small local hotel where I sell local dishes like tea. My husband is a casual labourer. I built a house because the current house that we own is small and we used to squeeze a lot inside. The roof of our current house is also thatched. I am very grateful to GiveDirectly that I can now live at a comfortable and more spacious house with my family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to expand my house so that it can be spacious enough for my family. I intend to use 40,000 Kenya shillings to expand my one-roomed house into three-roomed house so that to accommodate us with my six children. I will also use 20,000 Kenya shillings to add more capital into my existing hotel business so that I can get more income which will assist in any financial needs. The remaining amount will be used in our daily needs such as food and clothing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I usually leave home every day at 5.00 am and return at 7.30 pm. I do cooking jobs at my hotel and this kind of job drains a lot of energy and it is very tiresome because there is a lot of pressure from customers who order different kinds of food. I always look forward to evening because this is the time I relax and spend more time with my children. Evening is therefore the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I depend on my hotel business to get income. The income which I get every month is 5,000 Kenya shillings per month. This is not enough to cater to my family's needs as well as expanding my house. This forces me to look for other casual jobs such as ploughing at different farms so as to increase income. Low income is therefore, the biggest hardship in my life.
