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 ($445 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Prior to receiving the funds, I was most likely thinking of expanding my business especially since I was at a tailor so I was thinking of buying more fabric and apart from that, I was also thinking of using some part of the funds to invest in nutrition because it was quite challenging on most occasions.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Through the funds that I received from the organization, I have been able to sustain my business and also provide for my family which leaves me very grateful and very happy and so I believe that GiveDirectly has done more harm than good.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
As I had planned prior to receiving the funds,I used most of the transaction to expand my business so I went ahead and bought more fabric worth KES 20,000. Afterwards I decided to buy a couple of farm animals so I went on to buy five goats which cost me KES 20,000 as well. I also bought a couple of clothes which cost me KES 3,000 for two of my children since most of their clothes were worn out and ended up using the rest of the money to ensure my family and I never went to bed on an empty stomach.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember it was during the day when I was just up and about with my normal daily chores when I heard a messager ringtone from my phone. Because it had not crossed my mind that transfers could be send that day, I assumed it was the normal daily promo codes. After I was done with whatever I was doing, I picked my phone and went through the messages and I noticed that I had unread cash transfers message. I curiously opened it and found out that I had received the transfers. I was so happy that even if my husband was away, I had to call and tell him about the good news and he was so happy as well.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Previously, we used to sit on the floor because I had no chairs. I was able to buy chairs courtesy of the transfers and I'm so happy that everyone in my family ( husband and two children) have their own chair and nolonger sit on the floor. The metallic boxes that I bought has also saved us a lot as our clothes are nolonger being torn by rats.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had a piece of land that my husband had purchased few years ago in the nearby market. We had plans to build a shop so that I can operate my tailoring business from there but due to financial inability, we were not able to achieve that and I had to continue sewing clothes from my house. Our two rooms house at home was so congested and I feared that my sewing machine which I hardly worked for might one day burn in the house because the two rooms were serving as both kitchen and living room. When I was enrolled in the program, my major goal was to build a shop. I spend KES 34000 out of my first transfer to build a semi permanent shop and I'm glad that I have already started operating from it which has also attracted more customers hence increasing my income. I also spend KES 5000 to buy a mattress which replaced the old clothes that I was using as beddings, KES 10000 to by metallic boxes which servers as closest, KES 2000 to buy four
Plastic chairs and the balance to buy food.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My husband is working in another town as a shop night guard, getting a salary of KES 8,000 which isn't enough to cater for all of us in a monthly basis. I am a mother of two children. I decided to open a small business of selling domestic products within my house. I saw the needy to do this business to generate more income to maximize our earnings. I started this business with a capital of KES 5,000, money which was sent by my husband for my daily expenditures in the house and therefore I converted it to be my business capital. The potential customers within the village gave me a dream of having a retail shop within my compound but the capital isn't enough to stock all the products my customers need.
I will spend the first transfer to increase stock in my business. I will use the second transfer to purchase goats to keep since goats do well in my area than cattle. My children are still young and have not yet started going to school and therefore I have to plan for their future life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband bought new clothes for my family during the new year celebration- something which brought joy and happiness to me because we worn new clothes in my house all of us.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Luck of money to expand my business, scarcity of water- we fetch drinking water from a water pan which is too far (2km) from my compound.
