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.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have an additional goal to start a grocery business. I am hoping to feel a gap in my village. I realized that many people have not ventured into the grocery business, this is good business to start given that there is will be minimal competition which translates to more revenue earned.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Upon receiving the monthly transfers for the last four months, the biggest difference in my daily life is the timely and complete payment of school fees for a child whom I am standing in as a guardian. It has been a great feeling that I am no longer struggling to meet the cost of her studies since I have cleared her school fees thanks to the support I received from GD.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will have started the grocery business. My intention is to earn revenue from the business. That way I am able to look back and say GD empowered me and today I am a responsible guardian come parent who can comfortably foot the family bills.
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
Maize is the main staple food in our region and foregoing a day without feeding on it is really very hard. So for that reason, my next goal is to ensure I plant maize on a large scale so that I may be able to provide for the family for the next year.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is being able to provide food for my family. It has been a real struggle ensuring that my family is having enough food on daily basis. My family is composed of a number of members and it is a big shame if we are unable to provide for them. GiveDirectly has been my rescue ever since I began receiving the transfers and I am really happy that I was able to be part of the team that was receiving the money.
Nowadays, the family is very happy, living in harmony with full knowledge that each day that comes, there is enough food for us and I am happy as a parent. We can now channel our energies to other income-generating activities so that we may provide for our children's school fees as well.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
Maize is a four-month crop and if my next goal succeeds then it means that in six month's time I will be having enough harvests. This means that I will be able to provide for my family for the next year and even have enough for sale and earn income. I expect to do this by six months' time.
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago in that I currently have a better and reliable source of income. I operate a small business whose profits are small and fluctuating hence making unreliable. In the last four months, I have found so easy providing for my family without using my capital like before this has stabilized my business since I no longer take out the capital from and am happy to see it grow bigger while my family has good access to daily basic needs. I have diverted part of my income that could have spent on daily household needs to farming hence expecting better returns that will still boost my income.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The new goal that I have for my life in the next four months is to buy a dairy cow that I can also call mine and be proud of since it an asset and security to any arising needs. I have a shop in the nearby market and I realized that milk has high demand hence buying a dairy cow will be a good source of income sine will be selling milk.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I am growing older and older and my body immune is getting weaker every day. It is always my first choice to live a healthy and risk-free life, therefore, am always focused on preventing any risk that might come on my way. I took a life insurance cover that I am needed to pay monthly premiums for and even though I struggle to pay it, my small business has had fluctuating income that had not been good enough to meet the required standards set in the policy hence making my insurance cover unreliable. The biggest difference in my daily life is the last four months is the effort that GiveDirectly money has given me to be able to pay the premiums on time hence I am happy that my life cover policy is active meaning my risk are gathered for.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect my small business to have grown bigger hence will be more stable and earning me better profits that will open up other projects like putting up a posho mill in the nearby market to serve the ready market from my community which currently relies on one this will always boost my financial stability hence giving better assets to give my children to inherit and better their lives.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago because I have managed to support more children in pursuit of their studies. I am now supporting four orphans by paying their school fees and accommodating them. Besides, I am spending more time on my farm planting and weeding my maize unlike before when I used to buy them while engaging in a small business.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
The additional goal for my life for the next four months is to ensure that I have started building about ten units of rental houses in a nearby center. I will use my savings and seek financial support from my husband to finance the project. I chose to build rental houses to ensure a reliable and continous source of income at my old age.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I have gained more capacity and managed to educate one of my nephews who has no parents. After completing secondary, he (my nephew) lacked funds to further his studies. Since he (my nephew) is the first born in their family, I believe that supporting him to further his studies means supporting the whole family. After completing his college studies, he will probably have great skills which may earn him a good job. Hence, he will be able to support his siblings.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change significantly in the next six months. This is because I will have completed the construction of the ten units of my rental houses. Subsequently, I will start gaining some revenue after hiring out the rentals houses. Subsequently, I will be more optimistic of a better future as I approach my old age. Still, I will be more confident that the four children that I am supporting to finance their studies will successfully complete their courses. Additionally, the decent rental houses at our center will draw more prestige to me and my family.
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different because my kids also got the transfers hence reduced burden of providing personal items for them.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to increase poultry,expand my business and complete construction of my rental houses.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that these transfers have enabled me to boost payment of my medical insurance.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to be financially stable from my business and I expect construction of my rental houses to be complete.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new plan to keep a lot of poultry. There is a new college in the neighborhood that places orders and I intend to supply them and make earnings. This will change our lives in a big way.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different because I have a monthly income. Earlier I was stressed due to uncertainty of business yet I have a big family. The funds have really given me relief because I am taking care of some orphans. I am assured that we will always have food and the basics of life.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to better economically in the next few months. I expect my shop to bring more revenues as I intend to buy more stock and run it well.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my shop is now operational. I had shut it down due to lack of funds. I am happy that I have a source of income and my business is back on its feet. I am also hopeful for a better future.
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have ever faced is raising two orphans who are not my relatives despite of me being very accomodative.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is during morning hours.That is the time I can reason well and also plan perfectly the activities of the day.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer to increase the size of my already existing business.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement am proudest of is being able to own a small business in the next nearest shopping centre. It was out of my savings from selling milk.