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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($468 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I did a certificate course in education after completing my high school education and I had not been able to go for further studies due to lack of money. It was until I received my transfer that I was able to enroll in a diploma course and due to this, I do not have any new or additional goals. This is because I want to concentrate on my education and use the money that I get from my Mpesa business to support my family by meeting their basic needs on time
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly goes directly to their beneficiaries, educates, gives them examples of how they can spend their transfer, and also encourages people to spend the financial aid wisely and not on unnecessary things. To me, this is what they do best and I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When GiveDirectly came for enrollment, I decided to further my studies by taking a diploma course in education since I already had a certificate in it. Despite being a family man, I still had the thirst to further my education and secure a white color job. When I received my recent transfer, I spent KES 30000 to pay for my school fees. I will be using part of the profits from my Mpesa business to continue paying for my school fees while I use the other half on my children's education and basic needs for my family. In addition, I spent KES 20000 to buy a heifer as a way of investing this money and used the remaining KES 2000 on food. This heifer will be a permanent reminder of GiveDirectly in my life.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($492 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I am a college student, studying to become a teacher. One morning when I was doing my usual studies, I saw a message at about 8 a.m, that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy that I finally had the money to clear my school fees arrears.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
This cash transfer has enabled me to pay for my college school fees. I struggled with this before, because I do not have a source of income. Any money available to me would go towards providing food for my family of four. But this transfer has changed that. I have cleared all arrears, and I'm on course to achieve my dream of becoming a primary school teacher. I couldn't be more grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am currently a student, studying to become a primary school teacher. Over the past few years, I have struggled to pay my school fees, due to financial instability. So I was happy to spend KES 13,000 on creating school fees arrears, and KES 10,000 on other school-related expenses such as books. I then spent KES 25,000 on the purchase of a calf. It will be able to supply us with milk in a few months.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Recieving this money means I will expand my business and therefore get more income to develop my home, I drop out of school after my father got sick, he had exhausted all the resources we had in the family and so I decided not to continue with my education., I therefore started a business of buying and selling second hand clothes(mitumba) but from the onset of Covid-19, the business started dropping, I love doing poultry farming and it's this time that Givedirectly have visited me and hence I will be able to spend the transfer for starting the business. I plan to spend KES.60,000 to build a structure and use KES.20,000 to buy one day old chicks and for the remaining balance to buy the feeds.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am happy during the day, since I love taking with my customers this is the time I can meet and talk with them as they buy from my shop.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
When my father got sick, and I had to drop out of school since he didn't have money, I wanted to be a teacher but my dreams were shuttered and I really felt demoralized and thought my life will be misserable.
