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 ($431 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I spend my first transfer to buy a dairy cow and I'm expecting it to give birth in two weeks time and that means in a moth's time. I will be getting about 20 litres of milk a day compered to four litres that I used to get previously from my non dairy cow. This also means an increase in income and I am planning to spend the income to build more structures for the cows and plant more napier grass since I'm planning to expand my dairy farm business.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The transformation in the village is very visible and people ant stop thanking GiveDirectly for the support they gave them I urge you to continue doing the great work that you always do. On the other side, my opinion is that you give people whole lump sum amount so that they can plan with it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a teacher and before receiving the transfers, I used to walk for 12 kilometres to and from school everyday. I used to get home tired that I couldn't engage in any productive activity like looking for feed for my cows. When I received the transfers, I thought it was a good idea to buy a motor bike to ease my movement to and from school and also assist in ferrying napier grass for the cows. I spend my my second transfer to purchase a motorbike worth $500 and the balance to buy food for my family. I am so happy that I no longer get home tired and I can do some other activities like fetching water and carrying napier grass from the farm to home for my dairy cows.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 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 around 9 am when I was at the farm. I reached out to my pocket to confirm what time it was because the sun was scorching. Then suddenly, I saw a text message showing that I had received money from GiveDirectly. This was the best news that we had received in a long, we were full of happiness and joy. I was with my wife at the farm and she was equally happy and excited. Since we had planned prior on how we would spend our transfers. I immediately proceeded to the market since coincidentally, it was a market day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am relieved that I no longer use money daily in buying milk. This has enabled me to save up the money or rather put it into other basic needs. We no longer worry about going to bed on an empty stomach because I was able to stock up on a bag of maize which could last for a while. I am so grateful for the support that lifted my living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a trained teacher by profession, though I am still unemployed at the moment. I am married and blessed with two children. Upon the receipt of my second transfer, I opted to buy a dairy cow to cut down on the cost of buying milk daily. It was becoming expensive due to financial constraints. Therefore I bought a dairy cow worth KES 51,000 which I was unable to purchase due to unreliable income. Lastly, I bought a bag of maize with the remaining amount. I am so happy to have received the support that lifted my living standards generously.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have lived celebrating my education milestone since 2019 after graduating as a teacher from Kisii University. I had been lucky since then to be employed under BOM terms in a nearby school. This was an opportunity that changed my life. At the beginning of the last term, a government-registered teacher was at my school which led to my dismissal. As a way of livelihood, I resolved into doing farming. I managed and improved the cow I had and I can proudly say it helped me. I could sell the surplus milk to earn a living. I have loved this farming and I have found out to be a better option when I am not teaching. To me receiving this money means an added asset and improved farming. I am planning to use KES 35000 to buy a dairy cow to add the one I have. Having two means my farm will be producing milk throughout the year. I foresee good notorious among my family and higher income from milk sales. I will be using the extra earnings to acquire other household needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I had been lucky since 2020 to be employed under BOM terms in a nearby school. This was an opportunity that changed my life. I maximized my earnings to eastablish my household. I bought a cow and built a small kitchen which made me proud of my self. Though I lost this job three months ago, I still feel this is what brought joy in my life in the last six months.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a father of one currently relying on farming to make ends meet. I own a 0.8-acre piece of land where I have my home estate, grazing land, and a portion for crop farming. This is a small resource to have enough farm produce to see us throughout the year. With low rainfall, diseases and a small piece of land I have not been able to produce enough. Currently, my biggest challenge is food insecurity. I ran short of what I had in my store and now I am forced to buy on daily basis.
