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 ($468 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Paid school fees and bought uniforms for my five children, two in secondary schoools and three primary
I also bought two cows which will provide milk for feeding my family and selling the excess
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
N/A
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I paid school fees for my two children in secondary and three in primary school
I used the balance to purchase two cows which I will milk in the future
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have always wanted to own dairy cows that could supply my family with milk since we had to buy some every morning. So I spent KES 30,000 of the transfer on buying two calves, which will be able to provide milk for the household in future. I also spent KES 20,000 on paying school fees for two of my children. It's my wish that they get a good education. I also spent KES 2,000 on foodstuff such as maize, so we could have enough for the eleven of us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I appreciate the fact that this transfer has enabled me to provide for the basic needs of my family. I am unemployed and therefore did not have enough money to provide food, clothing, and education for my wife and nine children. This would constantly worry me as a husband and father. I am glad that since receiving this transfer, things are no longer the same. I have paid my children's school fees to ensure they can learn, uninterrupted. I have also bought enough food for the family. Our lives have truly improved.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was working on the farm when at 10 a.m, I heard a message notification come in. I checked my phone and saw that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was so happy to receive this donation that would ease my financial burden.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Prolonged periods of drought have been the biggest hardship we have faced in life. We experience a prolonged period of drought throughout the year making it almost impossible to rely on crop production for upkeep. For the past ten years, we have been unable to harvest sufficient crops especially maize due to unfavorable weather conditions yet we relied on it. Initially, we used to harvest approximately 15 bags of maize in our 0.5 acres of land. This has been something of the past because we barely harvest one bag of it. To curb this issue, we opted to plant beans even though it does not do well in our area, it is better compared to maize.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I deal in the scrap metal business within and outside the village. My normal day encompasses waking up as early as 6 am to go looking for scrap metals for sale. The job is so demanding and tiresome yet the returns are low (getting an estimated wage of KES 150 a day). I spend my entire day doing it until late in the evening. Therefore, having time to relax in the evening after a tiresome day is the happiest part of my day.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a life free from debts. I defaulted in my medical insurance fund cover and my wish has been to clear the bills first yet I am not sure how much to clear. The remaining cash will help me settle the school fees arrears for my school-going children who are in different levels of their studies; 3 are in primary and 2 are in the secondary level. In total, I am required to pay an estimate of KES 20,000. Even though we have one dairy cow which we rely on for domestic use, what we get (approximately 2 liters a day) is not enough to cater to a family of 9. All these have given me sleepless nights because I have been wondering where to get the cash to settle the huge amount of debts. Having you around (Give Directly) depicts a renewed hope.
