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 do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the near future is to ensure that we live a better life by having sufficient food for my family. Currently, we are sometimes forced to depend on my children for some of these necessities and I want to change this by ensuring that I plant my own food which I will sell some and consume some. Now that age is catching up, there little strength to do what I sed to do. The transfer has and hopefully will continue helping me do my role as the head of the family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest differennce in my daily life is that I have been able to provide the daily needs for my family such as food. Before, I used to pester my children oftenly to to help us meet these needs. This wasn't a good practise but since I had no other option, I had to do. I am glad that these transfers saved the good relationship with my children because I rarely ask then for money nowadays unless in need. The transfers also help us with my grand children's school fees.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My plan is to continue using the transfer for our basic needs such as food.
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life yo be better. I will be producing milk form the heifer I bought. The sheep that I recently bought will have multiplied. I will have completed my house construction. I will be living in a better house because it is a timber wall that is better than the mud hut I currently use. This home improvement is the next big thing that I want to achieve.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is owning a dairy cow. I used my savings from a merry go round group and bought a heifer that is almost calving. I am looking at a source of income in the next two months. I will be selling the milk to get an income during the time when the transfers will have stopped. I am so grateful because of the help that has now established an income for me.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal over the next four months is to put up a house. I will use the money I will be receiving on buying roofing sheets and build a living house for my family, This swill be a timber wlled house of good quality and looks.
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that I will have saved some money. We have planned with my son to buy a piece of land. I will use my savings to support this plan as well.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I built a better house which is so spacious and can host all my family members comfortably. I did casual jobs in my village and the amount of money that I received was so small that I could not afford to buy all the household basic needs and at the same time buy building materials. We used to live in a small mud house and there was no privacy at all. Currently, we have a bigger house which I built after buying the building materials in bits and after a period of three months, I was able to start and complete it without any constrains. I have converted the house that we had before to be a kitchen and whenever I have visitors I'm so free to welcome them because I have a good house. Before I could shy off because it was so embarrassing living in our house. I'm so happy for the support it has really changed our living standard
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to save some money every month. Buying milk is so costly. When it has reproduced I will be in a position to cut the cost. I will also sell the surplus to meet other basic household needs for the family.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago in that we have a new spacious house which can host all my family comfortably. Before we used to live in a small thatched house which could not host all my family members. At times I was shy to even welcome visitors because there was no good place to sleep but currently I'm so free because of a good house and good seats.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect in the next six months to have bought two oxen. In our area, we plough our farm using oxen. This will give me income because I will be ploughing my neighbor's farm at a fee. I will the oxen using the income form the farm produces and transfers.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I did not have a good house but now I have. My main source of income is raising livestock. This could cater for food only. Thanks to GiveDireclty. I managed to save the transfer and used it to build a new house.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal in the next four months is to buy a dairy cow. I will purchase it using the transfer I received from GiveDirectly. I will be saving them in table banking.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, My family is not missing some meals in a day like before. Before the transfer from GiveDirectly, we could not manage to afford enough meals. This is because we were depending on raising livestock only. Sometimes this could not produce a good yield thus low income. But currently using the transfer I buy and store some foodstuffs that can last for some weeks up until the next transfers come.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in that I will have bought a calf.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The only goal I now have is to buy calf.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life currently is different since I now live in an iron thatched house.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal that I have planned is to construct another house since the one I currently live in is a thatched house. From the money that I will be getting every month, we have grouped ourselves and formed a merry go round. When my turn arrives, I will have enough money to construct the house
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different from how it would has been without the transfers since I no longer have to borrow money from my son for my family needs like before
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to be better in the next six months since by then I will be in a position to support myself and my family from the transfers that I will be receiving every month. I will also have bought some new decent to clothes since the ones that I currently put on are old
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 the transfers is that my life is now at peace since I no longer struggle much to make ends meet. I am also happy that at least I have managed to own a cow of which in future, I will have enough milk both for consumption as well as for sale
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is drought which greatly affected my crops. The preceding famine that hit my family was a nightmare to forget.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when I am done tilling my farm and relaxing as I feed my cows.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my first four months transfers to complete construction of my new house, and thereafter spend subsequent transfers on improving my farming.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
Buying two cows for my family is the biggest achievement that I am proud of. My family can now have enough milk.