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 ($443 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?
GiveDirectly has impacted my life in a way that I could not have imagined. I have achieved a lot in a short time and I am grateful. At the moment I don't have any other new goals because of financial constraints but I am also contented with what I have accomplished.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
We are grateful for the aid that came when we needed it most. GiveDirectly has impacted the lives of our people amazingly, our economic status changed to a higher level. Our children are in school and finally, we have good houses around the village. So far I have not witnessed any inefficiencies in what the organisation does.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Life has been unbearable since I left my husband's house. We have been struggling to make ends meet because I don't have a reliable source of income. This is because I depend on farming and the land is small and unproductive due to harsh climatic conditions. I am a mother of four children who are all schooling. Upon the receipt of my second transfer, I opted to use it in purchasing a dairy cow worth KES 20,000 to cut the cost of buying expensive milk. I was unable to acquire one due to financial constraints. I then used KES 6000 to buy two goats and finally used the remaining amount on foodstuffs. I am relieved and happy that I would no longer be spending money daily on milk which would be a great saving. I am grateful for the support that lifted my life highly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($501 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was in the shamba planting maize and I heard a message notification on my phone. On seeing that it was the GiveDirectly transfer , I was very happy that I left my jembe in the shamba to come and rejoice with my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I uesd to live in a very small house and I had to build a bigger house and paid school fees for my child who is in boarding school. I normally plant vegetables to sell for school fees. This time the vegetables that I planted will be sold for more income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I built a house, bought seats and paid school fees for my daughter who is in boarding school.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have lagged behind in terms of developing my family. The reason for this is that I do not get any assistance from my husband since he is an alcoholic addict. The little he gets from his casual jobs all ends up in buying alcohol. Because of this, my family of six all live in a single grass thatched house that is hardly enough to accommodate all of us. Additionally, my kids lack the simple basic needs of food, shelter and clothing that all kids of this generation ought to have. As result, receiving this money means that I will be able to realize all these. I intend to build a semi permanent house for 30,000 shillings, buy one dairy cattle, a sheep and ten chicken for a combined sum of 35,000 shillings. I will then use 5,000 shillings to buy clothing for my kids and the remaining balance to save for other eventualities.
What is the happiest part of your day?
After I am done with the usual household chores, I embark on searching for casual jobs on people's homestead. I majorly deal with gardening, collecting firewood and laundry on people's houses. The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I get paid upon completion of the casual job. This is because I usually get a sigh of relief knowing that my family will have something to take for supper.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have a family of six; my husband and four kids. Two of my kids live with their grand mother while the other two are staying with me. My husband is a regular alcoholic who spends most of his time in liquor places. He does not play the role of the house head anymore since he does not fend for us and as a result I am left as the sole provider. Additionally, I have been a victim of domestic violence instigated by him. I have once been hospitalized because of the beatings I received from him. After the incident, the local authorities tried to apprehend him but was notified by his friend(s) and decided to escape. Its been 5 months since he disappeared but thank God I live in peace with my kids. This for me has been the biggest hardship that I have ever experienced.
