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?
I hope that six months from now, I will no longer strain much doing casual jobs since I believe my poultry will have picked hence enough eggs for sale. My children education will also improve because they will consistently be in school without them having to be sent home for school fees since I will have accumulated enough money from the sale of goats.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Over the past few months, I have continuously purchased two chicken every week and I am happy that my poultry project is really growing. This is a great step in my life considering that the transfers are almost coming to an end. I am now certain that I will at least be having some income to comfortably cater for my household basic necessities without necessarily doing casual jobs.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal over the next four months is to purchase two goats. I chose to buy goats because they multiply fast hence by the time my daughter will join secondary school I will have accumulated enough money after selling the young over the years. I feel good because I won't be a bother to my relatives and my kid will also have quality education since I will have means to afford a good school
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 started poultry keeping project. This will be my source of income through the sale of eggs at the market. Since it does not require much time it will not stop me from engaging in my farming activities.
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 pay school fees for my children on time and they are no longer sent home. Before I could do casual jobs of cultivating peoples farms but the amount I was getting was so small and could not meet all my needs and to pay school fees at the same time. Currently, I no longer spend much of my time doing those casual jobs. I have started to work on my own farm. I do horticulture farming and I sell the produce at the market to pay part of the school fees balances and also meet other expenses. I also have time to bond with my family. Before there was no time due to much of the casual jobs and I would feel exhausted in the evening. All I wanted was to rest.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new additional goal for the next four months is to buy a dairy cow. I have some savings in the merry go round group that we have in the village. When it will be my turn to get the money I will be in a good financial position to buy a dairy cow. This will enable me to cut the cost of buying milk which is so costly.
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 I do horticulture farming. My family has enough food to eat and I sell the surplus at the market to earn an income to meet other additional needs for the family.
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?
My expectation in the near future is to be financially stable. Being financially stable means I can take care of my children's needs comfortably without so much struggle. I also want to reduce the amount of casual work that I sometimes overdo working on people's farms and concentrate in my own farm.
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 that I am able to provide my children with the daily needs such as food and other items. Before we started receiving these transfers, we sometimes used to go to bed hungry for lack of or no food at all. We mostly depend on casual labor as a family in order to earn and buy food and all the basic amenities. Getting a casual job is sometimes hard and on such days when I did not get one, it would mean we could sleep hungry. Right now, even if I did not get a casual job, I would still have food for my family or even get some on credit and pay back when the transfers come.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to buy a cow in the near future. When the sheep that I already bought reproduce, I will sell them and top up the amount and buy a cow for rearing. I preffered keeping the sheep since they grow and reproduce fast.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
When Givedirectly came to our village and gave us the transfers, we started a merry go round group where we save some part of the monthly transfers that we receive. When I got my share of the savings, I bought a sheep for rearing. Sheep reproduce fast and in the near future, I will have a number of them, I will be able to sell and buy a cow. I also rear chicken which I bought using the transfers which produce eggs. I sell these eggs and the proceeds also enables us buy other stuff that we need. I am so happy I have assets that I can call my own, and I am empowered.
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?
In the next six months I would expect to be having more chicken which will help me to get food for the family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life is that my children can now go to school without struggle. I have seen their performance has improve since they cannot miss classes and they eat well.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to buy a goat so that when it multiple I will sell and buy a heifer.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently we cannot spent a night without food, before we use to spent a night without food due to lack of money.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
455 KES ($4 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?
I am intending to keep poultry. Before I was enrolled as GD beneficiary, I could not even think of keeping chicken in my homestead. As at now, I am confident that I will have some capital to start it off and after some days I will be able to maintain them. This way I will be able to have full access to eggs for good diet and also steady income.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life currently different because I cannot stay with my children at home. Previously, I could tell them to stay at home as I go engage myself in casual work which always goes for days before I can raise the cash required.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect that I will own a good number of poultry. And then later sell them and buy goats. I am sure that I will stop doing casual work as I concentrate on my activities that will also earn me some income to keep my family. I will be able to keep my children in school as well.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My biggest difference in my daily life is seeing my children going to school without being interrupted by being sent home for school fees. Before the transfer, I had difficulties in settling their arrears but now, I have paid them in full. They are now studying like any other and this gives me joy.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I am facing is my son being sick. My son was operated hence I have to take him to hospital for check up evey two weeks of which it is costly.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Happiest part of my day is in the morning. In the morning I wake up prepare my children for school , make sure they are well fed and I go to my farm to work or even get some casual job to help get some money for every use.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on chicken farming. I would like to start chicken farming because it is easy to manage and it will enable me get some income and food to feed my family. The income that I will get will enable to pay school fees for my children.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement that proudest is taking my children to school since I didn't get far in my education. My children are very happy going to school and they always telling they are going to buy me school.