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 ($518 USD)
access_time over 4 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 would have been because I have a water project that I never imagined of owning. Besides domestic use, I also sell water and earn revenue. With the revenue earned, I can easily foot my bills an also pay school fees for my children. Previously, I had to do casual jobs to meet my daily expenses. This was never a guarantee as there were good and bad days. On good days we had extra for saving but on the bad days, we went without food.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I did not imagine that one day an organization would come from nowhere and give me a whooping Kes 108150 just like that. I believe whatever GD is doing if for the good of the beneficiaries. May they not get tired of touching lives.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
Upon receiving my second transfer, I did start a water project. There is piped water that is next to where I stay and so I thought why not speak to the relevant authorities in charge of water distribution to come and connect water to my homestead so that I can use for domestic as well as commercial purposes. I bought pipes, taps, and water tanks to ensure that the project was successful.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($533 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Owning five goats is the biggest difference in my daily life so far. I am hoping very soon they will multiply because currently, some have started reproducing. My wish is to exchange the off-springs for a dairy cow. This is because buying a dairy cow is very expensive which I cannot afford to purchase at the moment. My hope is that when I get the dairy cow, I will be getting milk for my family consumption and also sell some. Thus, this income will be helpful in paying school fees for my children and also cater to my other basic family's needs.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 3 am when I heard my phone vibrating. Since I am illiterate my spouse's assistance came in handy as he took the initiative of confirming to me what the notification was all about. When he checked, he realized it was an Mpesa message from GD. They had sent the money as they had promised during the enrollment. I was over-excited and all I could is to laugh on top of my voice.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some building materials like timbers, nails to renovate my house which was in deplorable condition. I, later bought foodstuffs for my family that would take us a month's time since at the moment the biggest challenge we are faced with as a village is water shortage due to drought. With the remaining amount of money, I am planning to use on drilling a borehole since there is a shortage of water in my village as I had highlighted earlier. I believe this water project will be a profitable source of income because of countable taps in the area.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Starting livestock business, installing water pipes to my home and educating my children is what receiving this money means to me. Currently I am a house wife who depend on my husband's casual jobs yet his earnings are not enough to fully support our basic needs. When I receive my transfers from GiveDirectly, I am confident enough to fulfill my life dreams. I plan to use my first transfer to install water pipes to my home. This will help me to store water in my tanks and also sell to my neighbors, thus a reliable source of income. My second disbursement will be a capital to my husband in order to start a livestock business which will earn us more profit. This will enable us to support our children's education and also change our life for the better, a transformation that I have longed for.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning, I usually clean my compound and leave to fetch water from a water pan that is two kilometers away from my home. When I am back home, I prepare a lunch meal for my family and at around two o'clock in the afternoon, I collect firewood to use in the evening. It is only in the evening that I get ample time to rest after my dinner. Therefore, I consider evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of clean and safe drinking water and food insecurity is my biggest challenge. This is because, getting twenty litters of earth water means walking at least two kilometers away from my home. The water is usually dirty, that in most cases, it cause stomach discomforts. On the other hand, food insecurity has also been a big problem because I depend on subsistence farming but this area is affected by droughts. Therefore, I consider food insecurity and lack of safe drinking water as my biggest hardship.
