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 months, we have plans of buying more dairy cows. We have one cow at the moment but we feel it is not of great use since it doesn't produce enough milk that can earn us income. The produce we have currently is only enough to feed the family. By adding more cows we will have milk for sale as well as for consumption and this will lead to a general rise in the living standards of our family.
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 that I am more optimistic in life. I am less worried compared to the past few months before Give Directly came into my life. Through their assistance, I was able to complete my house. This house has been incomplete for several years due to lack of finances. Completing this house is the greatest achievement in my life. Apart from that, I bought a water tank. The fact that we can pay school fees in time reminds me that no situation is permanent. Previously we could hardly keep our children in school. They used to be sent home every other time. This situation greatly affected their studies since they couldn't catch up with the syllabus. We decided to join hands with my wife and vowed to pay their fees on time using these transfers. We are glad to see improvements in their academic performance
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, we have plans of continuing to take part in the merry go round and save up enough money with an intention to buy land. It is through this savings plan that I will be able to achieve this goal. The current piece of land that we are staying in currently is small. We can hardly do farming and my kids have to go to my neighbor's homestead whenever they want to play. I can't wait to buy land so that I can start my farming activities and improve the general wellbeing of my family.
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Completion of all those goals has been just the start of other great implementation of the ideas we had a household. Currently, I have an additional goal to purchase a heifer which we intend to keep for future milk production. Alongside the merry-go-round, I have been in is the monthly savings we have been making with my husband every month. This will help us a great deal when we will be buying a heifer. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the great help.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Active participation in the merry-go-round in the last four months is the biggest difference in my daily life. This project has seen me improve in many developmental areas in our household. Paying school fees, availing enough foodstuff to the household, ensuring that my children dress well and finally the biggest of all has been the construction of a concrete water tank with a capacity of 18000 liters has been encouraging to me. All these are courtesy of the transfers I have been receiving every month which have enabled me to constantly contribute to the merry-go-round.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, with the continuous flow of the monthly transfers we have been receiving, I expect to have saved enough money too buy the heifer and the remaining to pay school fees for my two children.
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?
After receiving the transfers, I can say our lives are now much better. Where we are now is really appreciable compared to how we were in the past four months. My wife and I are receiving the transfers and as I was struggling to complete the payment of the piece of land, my wife was ensuring that she purchase a water tank large enough to hold 20 liters of water. Our life has now changed for the better now that we are no longer walking the long paths to and from the rivers in search of water since we are collecting the rainwater.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
After purchasing the piece of land, we are still struggling as a family to see that we start other projects now that we are still receiving the transfers. The additional goal for the next four months will God's willing be to purchase a good breed of cow. We are still saving through the merry-go-round and soon we are hopeful that when our turn comes the contribution will be enough to obtain a good breed.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Before receiving the transfer from GiveDirectly, we were living in a small piece of land where our houses have been constructed on. For a long time, we have been struggling to raise so money to purchase a piece of land though it has been so hard. This transfer found us when we had paid just a quarter of the money which was required for the land and we were really thankful that it came at the right time. We managed to join a group of merry-go-round where we had been contributing 1500 KES monthly. This has enabled us to complete the payment of the piece of land which has really made the biggest difference in our daily life.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
As I was paying the remaining amount for the land, I was also running another house construction project in our household. I had to halt it a bit when I saw the need for completing one at a time and now that I have completed the payment of the farm, it is a good time now to resume. I am hopeful that this project will be complete before long and in my projection, December will be the month. Thanks to GiveDirectly for changing our lives.
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?
I recently paid a debt for a piece of land which I had bought and I have now started cultivating the land. I am currently busy like never before as I do prepare the land to plant Napier grass for my livestock. I had no extra space for carrying out dairy farming but now I thank God for GD as through the cash a that I have been receiving I got to paid the debt which had been bothering me for sometime.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Yes, I do have a new goal. I am intending to improve my cattle to quality dairy breed. I love farming and am planning to sell the local breeds which I currently have and buy quality dairy breed so that I can get more milk for use and sale. This will help me raise more for supporting my children who are in school and for buying food for the family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
In the recent past, I got to save the money which I got from my casual jobs and this has enabled me to get money for buying necessities for my family. Before it was hard to save even a shillings as it was hand to mouth and sometimes wasn't enough to cater for my family. Having catered for family necessities we are now living a happy family as we do not lack anything for use like it use to be. Thanks to Give Directly for sending us money which has changed my life and my entire family.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I do expect to have changed my local cow breed to dairy breed. Every morning, I would spend a few hours feeding my cows and even when I not going for the casual job I would be busy on my farm.
5th 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 is currently different because these transfers have made me to execute plans that I could not for instance I could not afford all farm inputs at once but now I can.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to buy a dairy cow buy saving my transfers together with my wife.
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 that these transfers have enabled us to clear debts and I have planted bean seeds on time.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have bought a dairy cow to boost milk production because the cost of milk per is currently very high and I expect my kids to get a good education.
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?
I am planning to complete a house that was not plastered before.I am also planning to repay debts of a piece of land I once acquired by joining merry go round group as from next transfer.With these merry go round contributions I will pay school fees on time.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different because before the training it was hard to comprehend how a person can give you money. The training and the transfers have enlightened in budgeting for my finances.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my house to have been plastered and land debts to have been cleared in six months.In the next six months I also expect to have acquired farm inputs like seeds, and fertilizer which are normally expensive for me to buy.I also expect to buy oxen to plough my land hence reduce farming budget.
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 helped reduce my fee budget of which was quite a challenge to me in the past.In terms of food these transfers will help to provide adequate food and has motivated me to work harder.
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship i have faced in life is when my maize plantation was infected by unknown disease which reduced output and i hard to work extra hard to buy food and sustain my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the evening since its the time i have with my family, eat together and chatting. Through that it makes me happy and feel relaxed.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer to educate my children since i have been struggling to pay school fees.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My achievement i am prousest of is i have managed to increase the size of land. Initially i used to lease the land which i used to plant maize and over time, i had saved enough to buy another land.