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.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I'm planning to save some of the coming transfers and later add to some of my savings and use them to purchase modern machines for my carpentry workshop. The machines cost KES 75000 and I expect to have raised this much in the next six months. I'm hopeful that my income will have improved by then because I'll be able to make more furniture in a day as compared to what I'm currently doing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I have been using the transfers to pay for my business premise monthly rent. This has relieved of the financial constraints since I have been diverting the money I could spend on rent to my children's school fee. I feel relieved because I no longer carry forward the monthly rent neither are my children sent back home for school fee. This is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I own a carpentry workshop but currently, I lack some of the modern equipment instead, I use manual machines. This slows down my work because I spend a lot of energy and time while using them. For the next four months, I have an additional of saving some of the coming transfers and use them to purchase the modern machines.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from the way it was four months ago because I have been able to pay for both my children's school fee and my business premise rent on time. This was made possible by the GD transfers. Since my spouse also receives transfers I haven't been financially strained because she is able to meet most of her needs on her own without relying on me.
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months l expect to continue pay my work shop rent and use the profit I am getting from my business to do other developments.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that since I started receiving this money I have been having easy time paying my work shop rent. I am also able to pay rent on time since I always receive money early enough. Before pay rent was a big challenge because sometimes the business is not doing well in that getting money to pay rent is not easy, but now I am not worried because know every month I have some money to pay rent.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have any new goal a part from paying my work shop rent, because by doing this I am also able to boost my business using the money I would have spent on rent.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago because l am able to pay rent on time without any problem.
11th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectations for the future is to build my own home away from my fathers compound. For the dream to be realized, I have to buy irons sheets, timber, cement nails and also have enough cash to pay the mason who will build the house. The project needs a lot of money which I know I will be able to raise.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I have seen so many changes in my life within the last four months because for one I have been able to pay my rent for the business premises where I have been working. Were it not for the monthly transfers I think I would have even closed shop because I do not make much profits, at times breaking even becomes quite an uphill task.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have goals that I want to achieve within the coming months but the only shortcomings is the lack of enough cash to make such dreams realistic. However, I am planning to buy machines that will make my work easy as a carpenter which will save me some energy because working without the machines is quite cumbersome.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
The differences that I have seen within the last four months is that I have been getting my daily bread from my carpentry job in addition to paying school fees for my three kids promptly. I used to have a lot of school fees arrears because my carpentry business does not pay so much so the little profits that I got had to be sub-divided among so many needs.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
attach_money
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six month l will continue pay my rent without any problem.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that since l started receiving this money l have been having easy time to pay rent for my workshop.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have any additional goal a part from paying rent to my workshop.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago because l have been paying rent without difficulty or delay.
4th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I do not have any new goal because, I am still planning to achieve my initial goal of expanding my carpentry business.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I pay school fees for my children on time hence they are not sent home for fee like before when I had not started receiving my transfer.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I am praying that in the next six month I would have bought plane machines for carpentry work.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my children are not sent home for fee balances like before because I pay their school fees on time.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I have faced is taking care of my sickly wife for the past five years. Her illness has been expensive and therefore straining on the little income that I make.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is during the evening after completing work because, most of the time I get paid for the work I have done in that particular day.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planing to use my transfer to expand my business by buy more timber to use in my workshop.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The biggest achievement that I am proud is learning carpentry and as a result being able to provide basic needs for my family.