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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Immediately after my husband and I were enrolled in the program, we opted to come back home. For years, we had been living in the neighboring village where my husband's employer gave us a small house to live in. It was a very uncomfortable room but our situation could not allow us to reject it. Painfully, we could not live there with our children but rather allowed them to stay at home with their grandmother. As soon as I got my transfer, I opted to buy a palm tree and harvest timber from it. That was the best support I could accord my loving husband. At the moment, we have begun building a new house, it is spacious with an additional room for my young children. I feel so happy and proud of GiveDirectly for showing us such a positive gesture.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give Directly does well in that it helps eradicate poverty. That is what I like most about the organization.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used the whole amount of KES 3,000 to buy a palm tree which I plan to get pieces of wood out of it so as to construct a house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home doing my daily chores of making breakfast when I saw my phone light up with a message. I took it to see who had texted me so early in the morning. I saw it was an M-Pesa message and I could not hide the joyous shout. I felt happy that this program was real and that some of the worries were washed away. Thank you Give Directly for being real and helping people like me.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the peace of mind. Having an extra income that I don't have to strain working for it has been a blessing. Knowing that I can even buy a bed after years of sleeping on the floor has brought so much joy. I plan on saving to build my home where we can live comfortably for the rest of our lives.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The money has been a blessing to my family as we have been living from hand to mouth these past months due to the drought. There was no water for planting crops so there was no money for food or even to pay school fees. Thanks to this money, I have been able to pay school fees worth KES.500. My children had been sent home due to a lack of fees and we're starting to get behind the class. I was also able to buy food worth KES.500 for my family so that they could at least have one meal a day if worse comes to worst. The rest of the money which is KES.170 was used to pay for books and pens for my children.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My family and I are currently living in our employer's house. He has been talking about moving back to the village soon.
That to me is a wake-up call. When we start receiving this money, keeping aside 2,000KES sounds like a plan I can work with.
I will save this money for as long as I can then start constructing our family house on the land we own not so far away from here.
Being in someone else premise is too unsettling because, at any given time, they can kick us out, and rightfully so.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Amidst our struggles, I find joy in knowing that my family is happy and healthy. I have taught my children contentment.
I feel so grateful when they understand why we can't afford a luxurious life but they work hard in school to ensure that they lead meaningful lives in the future.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Much as we have free accommodation, my husband does not make enough money to provide food for our ten children and me.
The children are always being sent home for school fees. I am currently not employed. If I could get meaningful employment say maybe as a househelp, that would help us bring money together and raise our children much more comfortably.
