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 ($454 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
After achieving all the key priority plans that we had discussed with my husband one being the purchase of an additional heifer, I do not have any new goals. The three dairy cows that we have right now are a great boost since we no longer need to struggle with the purchase of milk and also soon we are going to sell surplus milk to earn an extra income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Givedirectly did well by giving people money which allowed them to decide on what they can spend. Everyone in my village has improved their living standards compared to before. I do not see anything that Givedirectly can do better since all the procedures were adhered to.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving my second transfer I prioritized purchasing a heifer for KES 30,000. This was an addition to the two that I had bought earlier on with my first transfer. The investment in livestock will be a huge boost since it will allow us to cater for school fees for our children who are still in primary school once they progress to secondary school. I also spent KES 5,000 on purchasing a sheep for my son who had requested one before receipt of the transfer. With KES 3,000 I spent in payment of school fees for my three children in primary school for their remedial classes. The remaining amount, I spent on buying clothes and maize for my seven family members.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($476 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
After receiving the money from my mobile money account, I said a big thank you to GiveDirectly for the money. I almost jumped as I had never gotten such an amount before.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that my son now fully owns a piece of land that we bought for him after we completed making payments for the land. Again, I now own a heifer which I added to my stock. That was the biggest achievement for me as I couldn't afford to buy any at this time. I do depend on farming which can easily be affected by weather thus affecting productivity.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The money which I got, I spent KES 25000 on buying a heifer for rearing. I then spent KES 25000 on paying a debt for a piece of land that we had bought for our son. The remaining amount of KES 4700, I spent on buying foodstuffs for my family and a few clothes for myself and my family members.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Having a good house has been the greatest dream I have ever dreamt of. I have raised my eleven children in one small grass-thatched house which has been extremely uncomfortable. My older children are forced to sleep at neighbors' houses which is unsafe and makes me sad as a mother. I'm usually ashamed when I have visitors around as we have nowhere to welcome them. Receiving this money, therefore, means better housing for my family. I plan to use KES 30,000 to construct a two-roomed, iron-roofed house. For the rest of the amount, I will purchase two cows to feed my young children and earn me an income through the sale of milk.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband got some money from a casual job that earned him KES 3000 which he bought in a bag of maize. I was very happy knowing that week my family could eat well for a week or two. This is usually very rare as these casual jobs are rare to get.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The main challenge is financial constraints. We are peasant farmers heavily depending on the farm to sustain us. My husband is a casual laborer earning at most KES 200 a day. This goes to food only as we have a large family of five children who are still under my roof. We have lived hand to mouth for years with nothing to save up for other family developments.
