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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I bought twenty-two iron sheets at Kes. 900 each. Paid school fees of Kes. 1500 for my children. Bought two bags of maize for my family. One bundle of baking flour and seventy poles at Kes. 60 to build my house. I am a mother of three and all are boys. My husband is a mechanic and I am a farmer but used to work in a hotel and lost my job due to covid.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Receiving money has been my greatest happiness. It has made me climb a laser in life. There is nothing bad I have seen with this programme.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I saved the second transfer. I am planning to pay the contractors to help in building my house after all plans and building materials are all set and available. I also managed to buy goats, chicken and planning to start a small hotel business, with the remaining amount.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($491 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 8 AM when I was from the dam when my phone started vibrating so loudly. Since I am illetrate, I asked my son to check for me who have sent the message at such an hour. After two minutes of checking, he realized that it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and I had to conduct a special prayer for thanksgiving since it feels like a miracle to me. I will forever be thankful to GiveDirectly for coming to my village and being given the opportunity to be among the beneficiary.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Ever since I was married, I have been living miserable life full of sorrows. I have been living in a very small house which could not accommodate all my family members. The house had only a single room and this forced some of my children to shelter at my relative's houses. Some people in the village were making fun of them and they have been calling them names like beggars which frustrated me a lot. My spouse was the family's breadwinner who relies on casual jobs with very low incomes and the little he could earn(KES 150) could only sustain the family's daily meals. Therefore this shows that it would take ages for us to build our house. I now feel my dignity and joy have been restored. We are currently safely in a decent house with all my family members without having to worry about the harsh weather and the communal isolation, I am so grateful
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent on buying a few pieces of iron sheets at KES 10000, nails, timber, and buiding poles at KES 5000. This was for the construction of a new house becasue the previous one is grass thatched and very small and almost collapsing. It had only a single room which could not accommodate all my four family members. I also pad school fees of KES 1000 for my son who is in the nearby primary school. I am planning to start a hotel in my village since they are a few in the town. I also bought decent new clothes for my children and me to replace the old ones which had worn out. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I work as a waitress in a small food vending room at our nearby trading center. The much I can earn per day is 150 KES and this cannot sustain us. I have desired to start vending food to have a reliable source of income but due to lack of capital, this has never been possible. With the cash grant, I am now optimistic about realizing my dream since I intend to spend 20000 KES to realize my ambition. This will assure me of a good profit since I am already known by my customers. On the other hand, I will spend the remaining amount to construct a decent iron sheets roofed house that will accommodate us. Hence, this is generally what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The only time that I usually feel so happier is when I see my children enjoy a meal and this is only in the evening when I am back from work. I usually spend the morning and afternoon hours at my working site and I always get worried if my children have gotten their meals when I am away. Hence, I consider the evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The lack of a reliable source of income is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life. This is because I work as a waitress and the much I earn is 150 KES only per day. This income is very little and it cannot fully cater to our basic needs. Sometimes, we may even skip some meals and this pisses me off since seeing my children crying is so embarrassing.
