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 ($466 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Yes, I'm planning to start building my children a house because they are now grown and can nolonger continue to stay with us because at the end of the day we all need privacy.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What GiveDirectly does well is uplifting the poor in the society. Previously, there were so many weak muddy houses in my neighborhood but now the change and the impact of the cash transfers is evident. People have now build permanent houses and bought livestock.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 20000 to buy goats and KES 10000 to buy chicken. This is because I'm in to buying and selling livestock business and I just wanted to add stock to my business because it has gone down since COVID-19. I believe my business is going to grow and I will be able to support my family and pay school fees for my five children. I spent the balance to buy clothes for my children and cater for other basic needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I still remember that I received the Mpesa message indicating that GiveDirectly had finally sent the promised funds at 9.41 am when I was just stepping out of my compound. I became so happy and turned around so that I would share the news with my family members who were overjoyed upon hearing the good news. We sang a hymn and prayed as a family to thank God for the blessings that had just come in.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Paying school fees for my four children at the primary level and meeting our daily needs was a hard job for me and this made life unbearable. I was foreseeing a more challenging situation since two of our children are to join high school this year in the month of April. With the goats and chicken that I purchased using the transfer, I have started experiencing financial relief since I am no longer being asked for money to buy a bar of soap or sugar since my wife sells eggs and uses the money to achieve these. Also, I am not stressed about how I will pay school fees for my children to be able to join high school since I will easily sell some goats and chicken and use the money to achieve this and I am grateful to GiveDirectly for making this possible.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30000 from my transfer on livestock by purchasing 4 goats and 10 chickens. These are investments to me that I will rely on in paying school fees for my children. I decided on this since two of them will be joining secondary school level this year and I am foreseeing a financial struggle in paying their school fees since I majorly depend on any available casual work. We were heading towards the festive season when we received this transfer and we needed to celebrate as a family. Due to this, we spent the remaining KES 24000 on food and clothes.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I aspire to change my nature of job and do something less strenuous. I buy and sell cattle in the nearby markets on most days and it involves trekking long distances in order to deliver them to the buyers and earn my commission. Receiving this money, I will use KES 10,000 to fence my farm so that I can rear sheep for sale. I intend to use KES 20,000 to buy 4 sheep. I want also to start poultry farming with KES 15,000 from the transfer and rear chicks for sale, sell eggs and even the chicken. I want to commit fully to this.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Imagine being sick and unable to look for jobs and provide for your family? The ability to go out look for jobs and taking care of my family in the last six months has brought me happiness and I am so grateful.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenges that I am facing now are food security and issues to do with finances. Our area does not favor maize farming because of a crop disease that has been persistent for 10 years. This has affected our produce and I have resorted to buying maize for consumption which is expensive (KES 90 a kg daily). Paying school fees and feeding my family is another challenge because my job pays me less and I also earn when I have a job to do.
