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
55000 KES ($457 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I do not have a new goal now. My main concern now is to complete the construction of the house that I started using the previous transfer. The construction is almost done and soon we will move in with my family. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well in that they conduct their training enrollment so well. Most of the people who received the transfer spent it well and this has improved their standard of living. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly Did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30,000 on purchasing timber, nails, and iron sheets. The construction of the new house is ongoing. Besides that, I spent KES 20,000 on paying the workers who were doing the construction. GiveDirectly has improved our living standard. I have always wished to build a better house but I did not have the money. I lived in a small grass thatched house which could not host all the family well. Were it not GiveDirecly all this could have taken quite some time to happen. The remaining amount of money I spent on food and a household item.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($481 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was at 6 pm and I was at the nearby shopping center relaxing after finishing the day's work. As I was still chilling out, I heard some people saying that the transfers had been sent. I could not believe what they were saying since I had not heard my phone which was in my pocket ringing. I decided to take it out and as I was doing so, my phone rang and on checking it, there it was the SMS saying that I had also received KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy on seeing this that I immediately headed back home so that I could inform my family of the good news. They were so happy and we celebrated together giving thanks to God.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference that the transfer has brought into my life and that of my family is that we have managed to build another house within a short period. This is something that we never thought we will be able to achieve soon due to lack of money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent most of the recent transfer on building another house. We spent approximately KES 43000 doing so. We decided to build another house because we only had one that is grass-thatched. It has always been our wish to build another one but due to lack of money, we were not in a position to. I have a motorcycle taxi business and the money that I usually make most of it goes to the purchase of food for my family and paying back a loan since I had bought the motorcycle on loan. We also used KES 10000 of the transfer on repaying the motorcycle loan. We are thus grateful to GiveDirectly for their big support.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am living in one grass-thatched house which is both my kitchen and living room. This has been making me uncomfortable now that I am unable to provide good housing for my family. I am crippling financially making it hard for me to build them a better house. I bought a motorbike on loan to enable me to venture into the transport business. This earns me little income about KES 200 daily after paying motorbike loans and other costs like fuel. I will then set KES 70000 to build a better house and KES 25000 to buy my family a cow to enable them to tap more income from the sale of milk.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I bought two motorbikes in the last six months, this brought me happiness as I saw my dream of venturing into the transport sector coming true. I saw myself earning more income for my family and living a better life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am struggling to pay back the loan I took to buy two motorbikes. This is not been easy for me now that the transportation business is giving little return considering this season of a pandemic.
