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 ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before enrollment, I used to work as a bar attendant at one of our local bars. The income was always little and I used to take loan most of the time in order to meet our daily needs. This is no longer the case as I now own my own business and I am able to meet most of our needs on time and even save some money. Due to this, my life has totally changed something that would not have been possible had I not received the transfer.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out unconditional cash transfer and I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I spent KES 30000 to start a small business in our neighboring town. I settled on this so that I can have a stable source of income. Using the remaining amount, I applied for electricity and piped water and paid for their connections. With this, my children will have enough time to study in the evening since they will not be going to the river to fetch water anymore.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my first transfers, I felt so happy since I had run short of the savings which I had for the construction. I knew that the transfers would enable me to complete construction and other meaningful projects.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am so happy that I have completed my house and we are happily living in a much better house than that which we had before. Again, we have electricity power connected to our home which we use for lighting and charging our phones. Then lastly we have water at our doorstep and we no longer have to go to the river to fetch water for use at home. All of these would not have been possible without the support from GiveDirectly and am so glad that I got all these difference as a result of uncontional funds.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My first transfers which I received from GiveDirectly, I spent a large portion on completion of our house which was halfway done. I had run short of savings which I had put aside for the construction. With the transfers, I was able to purchase plywood and ceiling boards to fix on the walls and the ceiling of my house. I then spent some portion on purchasing wiring materials and paying fees for electricity connection to our new house. Part of the remaining amount, I spent on purchasing water pipes for connecting piped water to our compound. The remaining portion I spent on buying a bed, mattress and a blanket.
Enrolled
access_time almost 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am currently studying Information and Communication Technology at a nearby college. I was born to a single parent and lately she has been struggling to pay my school fees. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation worse since she lost her business which she was earning a living from. From August of 2020 my college resumed studies but I was not able to go back since my parent can no longer afford to pay school fees for me. I have been so worried about my future and the kind of life that my family would live being a college dropout. I am now happy that Give Directly will be coming to my aid and this would mean that I will be graduating from college in December 2021.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is usually in the morning. I am a casual worker in a retail store in town and this work is usually heavy in the evenings because customers flock in to buy household goods and this is very tiresome. This therefore makes the morning hours be my happiest because I get to relax a lot in the work place.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
School fees payment has been the biggest hardship in my life. My mother is a single parent, we are four in the family and I am the last born. By the time I was joining high school all my siblings were in college and this had really drained our family's resources. I was forced to defer my studies severally to give my parent a financial break.
