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 ($431 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I started building a house for my family with the first transfer I received. I wanted a bigger house because my previous house was small for us, the children did not have a bed and they would sleep on the floor. The house is not yet complete because it needed $300. My long term this year is to finish building and settle in.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well in supporting other people's dreams. The support helps a lot and I am thankful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a tailor in the village, and most days I get $3 a day that I spend to buy food for my children. The business only does well during the festive season because most people get new clothes this season. My husband does casual jobs for a living where he gets $50 a day which we mostly spend on our children's school fees. For the past ten years, I have been having stomach problems and I have been in and out of the hospital and spent a lot of money that has been dragging my family to the poverty level. The money from GiveDirectly has helped me transfer my two children to a boarding school so that they can concentrate on their studies, most day whenever I am sick my children take care of me, they do not go to school where they miss a lot and I did not want that to be the reason they do not succeed in life. I spent all the money to buy them all the utilities they need in school and also paid school fees for them.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($473 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
As I was from fetching water at around 7.30 am, when I saw a friend of mine who asked me if I had received the promised transfer from GiveDirectly. I was not very sure since I had left my phone in the house. I walked in to confirm and it was true I had not been left out of the program. I felt so happy since it was my first time receiving such a huge amount of money for the first time. The highest amount I had ever received before was KES 30000.00.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since my shop business was on the verge of collapsing, I did not know how I was going to serve my family because my income-generating activity was not doing well. I am thankful to GiveDirectly because after getting the transfer, I was able to revive my business by adding stock and it is now doing well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Due to how thankful I was when I received the money, the first thing I did after withdrawing was pay a tithe of KES 5000.00 to God. Thereafter, I paid a debt of KES 10000.00 which I lent to do some electricity connection for my house. I also took KES 15000.00 and added the stock to my shop business so that it can run well and aid me in keeping my family. I also bought some steel metal rods for my construction project. I also bought some foodstuff to ensure food security for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I love working with my hands, sowing is my passion and I get satisfaction when I repair or make attire for people. I have a shop where I run my operations but the challenge is I am only able to repair worn-out clothes. I plan to invest in buying a variety of materials so that I can make clothes from scratch. A stock of 35000 KES will be enough for a start to help boost my business.
The other priority is to rebuild my house, erect some concrete wall to support my house firmly, I get anxious when it rains the house could easily fall down.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am so overjoyed to be blessed with the fruit of the womb. It is now 11 years since I gave birth to my last baby. For 11 years I have longed and hoped for this blessing and this year my prayers were answered. I look forward to delivering a strong healthy baby.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Times are hard, business is at a standstill because people are focusing on providing food for their families with little earnings and do not have extra cash to spend on luxuries. Schools are also on a break and the repairs I would make for the uniforms are no more. I still go to work every day with the hope of making some income but the situation remains the same.
