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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does so well in supporting the most needy people in the society. It promotes confidentiality by sending to recipients transfers through Mpesa, a practice that helps in demoting theft cases. As a result of GiveDirectly's transfer, the benefiaries have registered a great improvement in their lifestyle. For instance, in my village many people are now doing better before. In contrary, there is nothing that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My most recent transfer was really of great help. I spent the while of KES 3,000 to buy a turkey. By raising that single turkey, l shall be able to get more turkeys which I sell hopefully in 2023 and raise more money to help me on my personal projects. Generally, turkey business is very lucrative since just a few people raise them within our village.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember it was around 9:00 am in the morning and I was relaxing in my house when I heard message ringtone from my phone. I picked it to read thinking it was a message from internet providers and wow! Here comes the money. I was so excited bearing in mind that I was nolonger going to use part of my savings to buy food that day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Previously, I had stressful longer days and nights filled with thought but my days now are easy and peaceful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After finishing up my primary school education, all I wanted is to proceed to high school but my poor parents couldn't afford to pay my school fees. After few years of school, I got employed as a motorbike rider and planned to save towards joining vocational training collage. I wanted to join collage last year but the severe drought that had striked our region made me spend part of the savings to provide for my family since I had married with one child. Then, I had quit job and I was straining to make ends meet. I had started giving up on my dream but when I was enrolled in the program, I regained some hope that with the monthly transfers, I will be able to join collage and still provide for my family. I used my first months transfer of Ksh 1150 to stock enough food to take us through the month and this has given me hope that with the monthly transfers of Ksh 3000, I will be able to join collage and still manage to provide my family with basic needs.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
People in my village walk for almost 45 minutes to access the nearest retail shop. This is a gap I have identified and upon receiving this money from GiveDirectly, I will use 70,000KES to start a retail shop in the village. Apart from relieving my people from walking longer distances to access a shop, I will also make handsome profits. I will major in selling maize flour, wheat flour, laundry soap, cooking oil, airtime and sugar. These are the most consumed commodities in my village. I will save the profits from the business to help me in meeting basic family needs and also pay my dowry. I will later open an MPESA shop at a cost of 40,000KES. MPESA is the commonly used mobile cash transactions service in Kenya. This means I will tap all the customers who walk longer distances to access the nearest MPESA shop for withdrawals, deposits among other services.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Irregardless of my father's poor financial situation, he has decided to stand by me till I get a job. My father is a primary school teacher earning 24,000KES per month, an amount that cannot even sustain himself forget about my siblings. However, he has been supportive over the past three months something that has brought joy to my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge I am currently facing is lack of money to sustain my family. I am currently jobless idling around in the village. This has forced my wife to go for a housekeeper job in the neighborhood something I was not happy about but I was left with no option but accept. I am currently not making any financial contributions towards the welfare of my family. This is a big shame according to our culture where a man is expected to be the breadwinner of the family.
