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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion I would want GiveDirectly to continue assisting in giving us the funds and not to change on anything
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a peasant farmer with a family of 7 members lately we have experienced drought which has made farming quite impossible .I was forced to start selling fried fish because my husband is ailing from Ashtma hence he has not been working yet he is the breadwinner in our family.I used my first transfer of kes 300 to pay part of schoolfees for my children in primary school and bought 7 packets of maize floor for kes700 and due to water shortage I bought water for kshs 250 which I paid only 200 and promised to pay the balance the next day.The second transfer helped me because my husband was still unwell.I paid kes 1500 for secondary children has the school had imposed hefty fine for the fire that caused destruction of property, I bought a bale of maize for kes 1200 ,body lotion for kes 80 and bought sardines for kes 120 so as to sell and get some profit.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the message at noon. My phone had been charging the better part of the morning. A friend of mine passed by my house and informed me that she had received her transfer. With a lot of anxiety in me, I headed straight to the phone charging shop and got my phone. Upon checking it I found out that I had too received the transfer. I was very happy and was very excited.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The money has made a difference in my life and that of my children. I was not able to pay school fees for my children. Through the money from the transfer, I was able to do that. I am too grateful I was also able to buy food using the money for my family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I do not have a permanent job neither does my husband. We depend on manual jobs which are hard to come by these days. With lots of needs to take care of within the family, I sought to start a small fish business to try and earn something from it. The main challenge I am currently facing together with my husband is not being able to pay school fees fully for our three children, provide a three-course meal for our children and ourselves. When I received the transfer spent KSH 400 in paying school fees for the children. In addition to the fee payment, I spent KSH 520 buying food for the family. The food stock in the house was already depleted. I also spent KSH 250 buying water for my use at home. Purchasing water from dealers is the norm because of the drought conditions we are having at the moment. The water has become very expensive and for those who go looking for water, they have to walk for several kilometers to get water for their use.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My roof is leaking and very weak that can be blown away with heavy wind. I have a small business, where I sell fish and make 150 KES daily, the money is just enough to feed my family while my husband takes care of our children's fees, this is why we have not managed to repair the roof. Due to a lack of money to buy new iron sheets for the roof, I had to temporarily cover it to avoid leaking. Receiving this money, therefore, means leaving in a house in good condition.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being able to wake up every day in good health for the past six months has brought me joy and happiness in my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband depends on casual jobs to pay school fees for our children and I sell fish where I make 150 KES daily to feed my family. The money we both make is not enough to support our five children in food and education. My children are currently still at home due to a lack of money to pay their school fees. The fees arrears are amounting to 15,000 KES that I am supposed to pay before they report back to school. It is frustrating when my children are still at home while others are continuing with the syllabus.
