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 do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I believe that I would have added one more sheep. This would act as an asset to me. I believe that the more sheep I own the more I will become richer because they will reproduce and increase in number. They will come in handy whenever emergencies occur. They will also help me achieve most of my goals because I can sell them and get capital to start whatever project I am intending to do.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
In the last four months, I have been able to take care of my family needs easily. I no longer get worried in case I don't get a casual job to do. My shopkeeper trusts me nowadays because he knows I have means to pay. Nowadays, he allows me to take items from his shop on credit without hesitating. He is sure I am capable of paying the debt because I get monthly income from Give Directly.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next few months, I am thinking of saving part of my transfer with the intention of buying a sheep. I prefer sheep because they are less expensive and they are also easy to maintain. I am sure in the next few years my life will have changed because these sheep will have multiplied and sold some. This will help me in achieving some of my goals
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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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 my goats will have reproduced and I will sell them to buy a dairy cow. This will cut the cost of buying milk daily which is so costly for me.
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 devoted all my time on my farm because I have the money to buy all the farm inputs at the right time. Before, I used to do casual jobs and the money I could get was all going to food, clothing and buying seeds and fertilizers. Sometimes I could be paid late and I ended up planting on my farm late resulting in a poor harvest. Therefore, my family could not get enough food and we could end up buying food all the season which was so costly for me. Currently, I do cultivate my farm on time, I buy seeds and fertilizer from the Agro-vet on time and this has resulted in high yields and bumper harvest. We have sufficient food all the seasons and I sell the surplus in the market to buy other family needs and also to pay school fees for my children in school.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new additional goal for the next four months is to continue saving the money in the merry go round group that we have in our village to buy two goats.
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 no longer spend much to buy food because I have enough in store and even sell the surplus to earn an income to pay school fees for my children in school.
11th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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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 am planning to buy a cow. I will be saving part of my transfers in table banking and the income I will be getting from my poultry project. I will use this savings to buy a dairy cow hence will have enough milk for my family. I will use the money I would have otherwise used in buying milk to cater for other household basic needs. I will also sell surplus milk to earn income.
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 used to struggle to provide food for family with the little money I was getting from casual work. My family could at times eat little food or even miss food when I did not get money and this had always been my worry. I used to work the whole day doing casual work such as weeding and digging so that I can get money to buy food for my family. I am now happy since I used part of my transfers to buy enough food for my family.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal for the next four months is to start a poultry project. I am planning to use the money from merry go round to build a poultry house and buy chicken. This project will be a constant source of income to buy food for my family. I will also be able to save more money to meet other family needs such as paying school fees for my children.
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 have enough food for my family. I used part of my transfers to buy a bag of maize which will last us for some time and therefore my family no longer eat little food something which was common in the past. Currently, I no longer spend all my time doing casual work and I can now spare some time to work in my farm so that in future I will be able to have enough food for the family.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in that the size of my farm under farming will have increased.
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 my children no longer miss food now days.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The only goal I now have is to increase the size of my farm under farming.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life currently is different since I now have a cow which I did not have before.
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?
I am planning to increase my farming land and also for my kids to eat well.I am also planning to buy chicken which when they multiply I can buy a sheep.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different because I managed to buy food for my family and the transfer came at a time I was not expecting any money.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change for better in the next six months because I am planning to start vegetable farming and increase maize and beans farming.I am planning to increase my chicken stock every month and at end of four months I can sell them and buy a sheep.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that these transfer has boosted me in buying food for my family because I had no source of money at that particular time.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
In 2017, my wife, Mercy felt so sick that she was admited in hospital for almost a month. Unfortunately, this came when I had no money at all, and I had to beg from my fellow villagers. This came to be my biggest hardship that I pray for it not to come again.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is always in the afternoon hours. This is when I have managed to achieved all my daily goals of farming, feeling relaxed and stress free.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to use the transfers on improving my subsistence farming. This will ensure that my family are well fed.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The greatest achievement that I have achieved in my life is transfering my child to a private school. This came after a successful farming, which enabled me to save some money that I used to pay the school fees for this child.