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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For a long period now, I have faced a major challenge of lacking chairs where visitors, relatives and my family would seat on. When I received my transfer, I spent the whole KSH 3000 and topped up an extra KSH 300 and bought six plastic chairs. Previously, my relatives would visit me during the holiday and I would feel ashamed that I could not provide them with a decent place where they could sit. Often I had to go to the neighbors to borrow chairs for guests visiting my house to sit on. From then on, I saved money and buy chairs. I could not do so because of my low income from farming job which is affected by the drought.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am very grateful and thankful to this program because of the financial support that we receive and it could not have come at a better time if I do say so myself because of the drought and financial hardship that we were experiencing at the time and I hope it keeps doing the good work it has been doing.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving the money I opted to begin by paying tuition fee for my children because they had pending balances and this resulted to them being sent home very frequently and me having to sweet talk the teachers to allow them to class for the mean time as I looked for money. Therefore I paid KES 1,000 to be split among the six of them. After that I bought a goat so that I would rear and maybe after they produced they would help me financially in the future and it cost me KES 1,500. Then lastly I bought five packets of maize flour which was KES 500 since we had completely run out of food in the house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was about 9am in the morning when i saw the text message relating to the cash from Give Directly. I was actually preparing porrige for breakfast. Well at the moment i was experiencing lots of problems and i could not hide the fact that i was very excited when i saw the text message
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My biggest difference in life is that the cash has been able to help me provide for my family better than before. I can now afford to buy food with profit from my small business.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used some of the cash to pay school fees for the children, i also bought Makutis to renovate my falling house and also bought a chicken to celebrate the good news of receiving cash from Give Directly. The rest of the money was used to buy food fro the family.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always wanted to build a house for my family. I have a large family but living in a small one-roomed house. I advised my husband to marry a second wife since I was not able to conceive again after the first child we now have seven children from the second marriage. We lack privacy since we have to share the same space.
The roof licks every time it rains, it gets cold at night making it very uncomfortable to sleep. I now have hope that we will be able to build this new house.
Secondly, I will buy a cow, our neighbor loaned us his cow but expects it back once it has a calf. I wish to have a cow of my own and sell the milk it produces.
What is the happiest part of your day?
It is good to be happy despite the challenges we face, I rejoice when I make profits from my business, at least that day I know my family will have something to eat that night. This does not happen every day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My health is my main challenge. I have chest pains from time to time. I inhale a lot of smoke especially while cooking since I use firewood for the same. I have a small business where I sell buns in the nearby village, I can only afford to prepare the buns using firewood. This has prolonged my ailment.
I do not earn much from my business. I make a profit of Ksh.150, a bag of flour goes for Ksh.100 what is left I buy food for the family. It is hard to depend on Ksh.50 to feed eleven people. Some days I have to borrow cassava from neighbors, boil them and feed the children.
