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.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four-month my plan is to increase my tea farming. This way I will increase my income and become more independent and responsible.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the great improvement of my poultry farming. Initially, I was only running a small poultry farm but at the moment I have managed to also venture into tea farming which means a projected increase in my income. Our hope in life has been rejuvenated and our perspective on what seemed hard is now easy.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have improved on my tea farming and my poultry will have multiplied in number. My revenue will have increased as well and this will be the start of the life I have dreamt of.
19th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional plans for the next four months is to be able to start a poultry project. I am currently constructing a poultry house and once complete I will start small by buying at least 10 chicken. Poultry project is one of the most viable project that will improve my living standards and that of my family. I am looking forward to accomplishing this within the next four months.
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 is the unity that we have enjoyed with other recipients within the village since the commencement of these transfers. We hardly had meetings with other villagers than we have now and this has even provided us with an opportunity to interact with other villagers and resolve other matters arising within the village whenever there is any. When I received the money from my contributions, I resorted to starting a tea seed bed. Once I sell these seedlings I will get income enough to change my life and move me towards being self reliant.
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 shall have reduced my dependence on the monthly transfers by a great extent. This, I am optimistic shall come to pass due to the numerous investments that I am making now. These investments shall bring me income in the long run and enable me make other valuable investments that will change my living standards.
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago in that I now dress decently. Though I may not be wearing expensive clothes, I am glad that I have some clothes which makes me look presentable and neat all the time I wear them.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal for my life for the next four months is to start poultry keeping project. I have already started buying some material needed in building a chicken pen. I settled on this since its starting cost is affordable and it requires minimum attention.
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 have been able to plant some tea cuttings in my nursery bed. I am now optimistic that it will be ready for transplanting in the next five months. Having tea plantation is a major investment in my region which is more reliable compared to maize farming.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will be different in the next six months since I will have transplanted my tea seedlings in the farm. When they grow, I will be plucking the green tea leaves and supply them to our nearest factory so that I can be earning an income every month. In addition to this, my poultry project will be running smoothly and I will be saving the income generated from this project. My main aim at this point will be to start a business using my savings though I have not fully decided on the business to start as I still have so many business ideas and I am still weighing on their viability.
12th 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?
Having savings in a merry go round is a huge change in my life. I save about KES 1000 from every transfer. Initially, my income was very low as I used to depend on casual jobs since I had just completed school. I had no ability to save but now I have been doing it to build a house. Having these transfers have also allowed me to dress well. I have been using a part of the transfers to meet my clothing needs as a young person. This makes me very happy.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I plan to start a poultry keeping project. I will be building a poultry strscture and buy chickens to keep.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life in the last four months is that I have managed to establish a tea nursery bed. I had always desired to make a nursery bed but could not afford the materials required. I work on the bed every day and seeing them doing well gives me joy in that I know I will be making a lot of money from selling the seedlings.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to have changed in the next six months because I will have an additional source of income from my poultry. I will be running an egg production and the sales from it will be a constant source of income.
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?
My life currently is different since I nowadays have decent clothes and shoes.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The only goal i now have is to start poultry farming.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness since i now dress decently.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in that I will I have started poultry farming.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 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?
Since I started receiving the transfer the new goals that I have developed are building my own house and starting a poultry farming.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different from how it would have been if I had not received the transfer in that I am currently able to get my basic needs especially clothes which I could just buy once year. I am able to depend on my transfer for my needs unlike before when I could rely on my parents.The transfer has made me to do my own work hence am self employed unlike when I used to go for more casual jobs.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months I expect to be living a better life.I will be able to provide for my self now that give directly has assured me of a monthly income.With my plan of having fourteen pieces of iron sheets at the end of the one year, I expect to have bought six of them in the next six months to come.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the transfer is that I currently earn a daily income from selling of eggs from the hens I bought.This has enable me get my basic needs unlike before when I could go without or take long to get them.I currently have better cloths I bought with the transfer hence I have a better life.I feel that my living standard has changed positively.
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 was in 2016 when I had forgo school for three months due to lack of fees. It was hard because I was about to sit for a national exam; the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) yet I didn't have the necessary reading materials at home. This predicament was consequent to my mother's admission to Tenwek hospital for cancer which drained our family financially. I went back to school later but failed my exam. I accepted the results but I do not intend to continue with my education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I hang out with my friends in the evening. It is a good time to relax and catch up after completing the day's work. This is the happiest part of my day.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend the first five months transfer to buy building materials so as to build a house of my own. Currently I am staying with my brothers in the same house, a house built by my father. I want to be independent. I am planning on building my own house because I intend to get married in about the next two years.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
In 2013 my father allocated me a quarter of an acre piece of land and I planted tea in it. Growing tea was the best decision I made at that time because at the moment, the tea leaves I sell from my farm is sustaining some of my basic needs like clothing and food for our family. This is an achievement I am proudest of because I feel mature in the sense that I don't have to pester my father about my needs. This gives me a sense of fulfillment.