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 is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is different because I have been using the money to buy food for my family which means that my people are food secure at all times. We have just come from a dry season and most people were complaining of high food prices but for us, everything was okay because we had enough food for everyone.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I want to expand my business ventures, so right now I am planning to open a barbershop within the locality which will also be earning me some income every month. I will no longer have to stretch this single business every time I need to earn an extra coin.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference I have seen in my life is that I have been able to start my small scale business which generates income on a day to to day basis, at least I am convinced that my family can never hungry because we have this income-generating activity.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I will have a stabe supply of income from my two business which I will be running concurrently so that means I will have a lot of work to do which at the end translates to a better supply of income.
15th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I joined the one-acre fund organization which supplies farmers with hybrid seeds and fertilizers at some cost. For me, I normally take goods worth between 7000 to 9000 KES which I am ex[pected to payback within a period of five months. Four months ago, I took goods worth 7000 KES which I have been repaying at the end of each month and so far I have a debt of 1500 which I will repay within the next two weeks. The amount of harvest that I get from my farm is also good as compared to what I used to get when I used the local breed of seeds.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I currently live in a grass thatched house which leaks excessively during the rainy season and in most cases, I am forced to replace the grass after a very short period of time. Right now I have a goal of buying close to twenty new iron sheets within the next four months so that I can change the roofing. I plan to start out by buying one or two new iron sheets every month.
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 I managed to start a small scale business which I had only dreamt of for quite a long time but then due to limited finances I could not manage to turn the dream into a reality. The business has sustained me ever since I launched it and today I can say that I get a financial reprieve from the profits generated.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to see changes in my life within the next six months. The strategy I want to employ is to expand my business as much as I can within the shortest time possible so that I can be able to realize more profits than I do today. I will then save the profits because I want to make sure that by the time my kid starts going to school, the school fees issues will not be a problem.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, the biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to save money for my children's education. Therefore I pay school fees for my children on time unlike before where they could be sent home to collect school fees and this was affecting their performance.
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 save and use them to start a cereal business. This business will be earning me an extra income to meet other basic household needs.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Before GiveDirectly came to my village I used to borrow money from my friends when my children had stayed home for a longer period of time due to school fees arrears. When I didn't pay this debt in time it could bring disagreement between us The biggest difference in my daily life is I have been able to pay school fees for my two children who are in primary school without borrowing anyone. its a relieve since they are no longer being sent home for school fees hence their performances as they are motivated to go to school.
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 enough money to start cereal business. This business will be earning me an extra income to meet other basic household needs.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I can easily afford the basic needs and my living standards have improved because I now have a source of income. This is how dofferent my life is compared to the way it was four months ago.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
At the moment I do not have an additional goal but to ensure that the business grows bigger.
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 now have a source of income from the business that I started up with the first transfer thus I can easily meet my family's needs.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have constructed an iron roof house to replace the current grass thatched house I have.
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?
Yes,the new goal I have is to build an iron roofed house. At the moment,I stay in a grass thatched house that is not so modern.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is better in that my savings are growing. Were it not for the money I received from GiveDirectly it could have not grown.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months,I expect my life to change with my income and saving having grown. That means a stable income as most of it is going to my savings.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have saved the money I received in our local table banking group, and I am waiting for the sharing out come December when I expect my life to change for the better as I shall revive my business that collapsed for lack of money.
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 being jobless because I am not in a position to provide for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is morning when I wake up in good health to resume my daily routines like cleaning the compound.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on starting a small cutlery and utensils business. In addition to that, I want to spend part of the money on tithe.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement is the small cutlery and utensils business that I started in 2015. However ,the business later collapsed because I had other medical problems which drained my resources.