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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($528 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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The recipient was not asked any questions as part of this follow up.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($545 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have paid school fees for my children in secondary and college. I do causal jobs in the village and also sell vegetables on my farm to earn an income to meet the basic needs and pay school fees. The amount of money that I get through this is not enough to meet all these basic needs at once. My children could be sent home to collect the school fees and because I had no ready money they could stay at home for some time before they return back to school. This was affecting their performance in school. When I received the money I cleared all the school fees and this has given me peace of mind to concentrate on other activities at home. Their performance has really improved as compared to previous semesters at school. I am so happy and I have devoted all my time to work on my farm.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the money I felt so happy. I remember it was very early in the morning when I heard a message notification on my phone. I reached out to my daughter-inlaw to check it for me. I felt so happy because I have never received such money before. We immediately plan with my spouse on how to spend the money. The first priority was to pay school fees for my children in both secondary and college.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to pay school fees for my children in secondary school and colleges because this was the main challenge that I had at hand. I do casual jobs in the village and the amount of money that I get is so small and it could not gather for all the basic needs including paying school fees. The rest of the money I used it to buy food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have three children in school. I am planning to spend the first transfer to pay for their fees early next year. One in a technical institute($250) and two in secondary school($270). This is a huge difference GiveDirectly is making in my life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am a fulltime housewife. Most of my duties involve fetching water and collecting firewood for domestic use, feeding livestock and weeding our small maize farm till noon. In the evening I would spend time with some of my friends in the village to relieve stress after a tedious day. This is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having to educate children in various tertiary institutions has been an uphill task. My husband and I are unemployed and getting money for school is almost impossible. My 0.3 acre maize farm is not even enough to meet the family food demand let alone surplus for sale. We have had to desperately depend on politicians and village fundraising to get money. It is a big worry because our resort is not sustainable and my children face a risk of dropping out of school.
