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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3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($488 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different from how it was in that, I have been able to achieve most of my goals. My business is doing well since I managed to boost it using the transfer and I have also built a latrine back at home which I did not have before. Nowadays, I do not take loans like I used to do. I can comfortably manage my needs because my business is doing well.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to make sure that I visit my wife's place. It is the right time to visit my inlaws after postponing for ten years. This will show commitment to this marriage. I will even gain my respect and dignity to my parents-in-law. My wife will also feel valued and loved after this move.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer on my father's burial ceremony. Additionally, I saved a larger portion because I am planning to visit my in-laws and this plan will require a lot of money since they live far from town. I have been postponing every now and then due to lack of enough money. We have stayed with my wife for ten years but haven't known there home. This time around I am determined to make this important visit so as to cement a good relationship with them. These transfers have helped me achieve the goals that I have been postponing over the years.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
37152 KES ($360 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I had begun losing hope in life. I felt nothing was moving on in my life and I was struggling a lot to keep my life going. I never had any anticipation for the future because I never saw anything come out of it. When I received my first transfer, I finally saw a light in my life and realized not all is gone. I thank God for the transfers and used part of the transfer to start a small fruit business which has really helped me in meeting my daily needs. In as much as it does not give me everything I would want to have in life, I am glad the stress I used to go through is no more. I am happy together with my family.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
Currently, my new goal is to pay dowry for my wife. We got married three years ago and due to low income., I have never been able to pay dowry. I would not want my relationship with my in-laws to break because of not paying dowry. I would still want to have respect between us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer on boosting my fruits business by adding more stock to the business. I just felt by adding more stock, I will be able to get more income from the profits. I paid rent since payment time was due, paid back a debt I took from our table banking group to pay school fees arrears for my children who had been sent home for the same. I also gifted my sister some amount to help her sort some of her personal needs. The rest of the transfer I used to transport building materials such as iron sheets which I used in building a toilet back at home and saved the remaining amount for future needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($194 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to pay dowry with the help of these transfers. I have stayed with my wife for over ten years now and I sometimes feel embarrassed that I have not been able to pay anything as a sign of commitment. When this happens, I will be free with my parents-in-law unlike before where we can not associate with each other because of lack of any commitment.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am now stress-free unlike before. I do not owe a lot of people money like before. The burden was too much because I could take loans that I was unsure of how to repay. I have also been able to stay focused now that I have a business to run which demands most of my time and commitment.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer to revive my business. I have been selling snacks sometime back and the business was not doing so well that it ended up collapsing. I had to look for casual jobs in order to sustain my family. The struggle was real because most of the time I could idle around because the jobs were unreliable and hard to find. The fall of my business was a big blow to me because it had been close to my heart for over six years. When I got the money and revived it, I felt very happy. So far, I have been able to cater for my daily needs which have made me feel proud as a responsible man. I also reduced school fees for my two children who had huge fee arrears. Apart from that, I also paid rent for four months which I had defaulted. I can only thank GiveDirectly because I was almost giving up and resorting to going back upcountry but my hope was restored back with these transfers.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
I was awoken by a message tone on my phone. I wondered who had texted me early in the morning. When I read the message, I found that I had received my transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt very happy because I knew that I was going to revive my collapsing business and pay the pending loan that I had borrowed from various people
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My first priority is to expand my side hustle business of selling sweets and sugarcane. I work in construction sites and the money I receive is not enough to cater for my family upkeep. I would want to expand my business of selling sweet and sugarcane to a retail shop to supplement my income that I get from constructions sites. I will open my business in Kosovo, Mathare. Kosovo is a densely populated area that provides a ready market for my business.
Secondly, I will save the remaining part of my transfer, the profit that I will get from my retail shop as well as my income from construction sites to invest in motorcycle business in future.
I would want to buy a motorcycle and use it for transportation of people and goods. From the research I have done here in Mathare, motorcycle business is a major source of employment to many youths. I will therefore, have an opportunity to be self employed and quit working on construction sites because of the harsh condition I normally subject myself as I am always forced without protective gears and no medical cover incase of an emergency. I expect to generate more income from my motorcycle business which will improve my standard of living and that of my family.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is unemployment because I fear that my wife will leave me if I fail to provide for their upkeep. I normally walk to construction sites to look for work and I am not always guaranteed to get it. At times I find it difficult to provide food for my family, pay rent or even support my children education from my meagre income which is not enough. I have always thought of engaging in criminal activities in order to make ends meet. At the end of the day I always decide not to engage in criminal activities because I may end up being arrested and face a possible jail term or even death from mob justice or trigger happy policemen.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambition is to become a successful businessman in future. I would want to own a wholesale shop and be able to sell my products in retail shops around Mathare. There are many retail shops in Mathare and this will provide a ready market for my business as I will be supplying them with goods. I expect mylife to change completely as compared to my current status where I am not guaranteed to get work at construction sites. Going back empty handed at the end of the day normally stresses me which sometimes make me feel hopeless yet I am the sole breadwinner of the family. I am hopeful that with this new business, I will be able to live a good life, support my family financially and be able to provide for their upkeep with much ease.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
On my usual day I wake up very early in the morning at 5:00am and walk on foot to construction sites to look for work either in Eastleigh or Roysambu in the neighbouring constituencies. I arrive at the site by 7:30am hoping that I will be lucky to get work. If I am lucky, I work until 5:00pm in the evening then I return back home. If I happen not to get work, I return back at home and open my side hustle business of selling sweets and sugarcane until 9:00pm. I then have supper in my house,relax with my family and then I retire to bed. In my free time, I like to hang out with my friends in the hood in a place where we run a public toilet as a group.
