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 ($435 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?
I am looking forward to pay loans that I have for the next couple of months so that I can save towards opening a general shop for my wife. This will mean that, combining the business with dairy business, she will be able to cater for basic needs as I focus on paying school fees and other family projects.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What GiveDirectly does well is doing follow up after sending the the transfers.This shows how transparent the organization is by doing checks to ensure that the recipients received their transfers. It also reduces risks of fraud as no one would risk asking for bribe because they know there would be follow ups after and they will be reported.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the longest time, I have lived without a dairy cow and my desire has been to own one so that I can be able to get enough milk for my children and for sale to supplement my income. Although I am a teacher and doesn't earn much, I had also desired to buy my wife who is a housewife a cow so that she finds something to engage in and help me with the family responsibilities. When my children joined high school I couldn't fulfil my wishes because of paying school fees and debts that I had. I spend $200 of my second transfer to pay school fees balance for my children in high school and the balance to buy a cow which hopefully, will give birth in one years time. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for I could not have achieved all these were it not for the transfers.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($468 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was almost 5 pm and I was at the farm cutting nappier grass for my cow to feed on. I had my phone with me but I had left it in my coat aside at the farm, so I didn't hear it ringing. It was until I was done with the work that I thought of checking it since we had heard a few people in the community saying that they had already received their transfers. We were thus eagerly waiting for it. I saw that I had an unread new message, I hurriedly opened it and to my surprise, it was the SMS indicating that we had also received the KES 55000 that GiveDirectly had promised us. I was filled with so much excitement that I immediately went home and informed my wife of what had transpired. She was so happy too and we gave thanks to God for the blessing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer from GiveDirectly has brought a big difference in our lives as a family. We now have another cow to supply us with milk for our consumption when our other cow is dry. We will thus no longer incur the cost of buying some. Our children on the other hand were able to study well without worrying about being sent home due to arrears. There have hence been fewer struggles on our side to get school fees and we have had some peace of mind.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When we got our recent transfer, we had already made plans on how we were going to spend it. We needed another cow that would provide us with milk for our consumption when the other one that we have been rearing is dry. We thus bought it at KES 30000. We have been meaning for a while to buy another cow but we were not able to since most of our money has been going to the payment of school fees for our 5 children. Two in secondary school and the other three in primary school. We are thus happy because the GiveDirectly transfer presented us with an opportunity to achieve so. Other than that, we also spent KES 20000 on paying school fees for our children, and with the remaining transfer amount, we spent on buying essential household items such as sugar, salt, cooking oil, etc. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for the support.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a settled debt for me and continued studies for my two children in college and two others in high school. I am currently struggling to repay a debt of KES. 70,000 which I took at the beginning of October last year to enable me pay school fees which was amounting to KES. 100,000. The loan has since become a pain in the flesh because I have not completed repaying it and yet again am required to pay for the other school terms. I have sank further into desperation hopelessness and I was even thinking of asking the two in college to defer their studies to allow me to settle financially before they resume. The school fee arrears currently stand at KES. 40,000 and am happy that the transfers will help me settle that. The transfers will also enable me to settle the debt in full and enable me to focus on the coming academic year.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a teacher it's always my joy when students pass in their exams. Last month we got the best results for Grade 8 students who were taking their national exams and it gave me so much happiness because I was the class teacher.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge am facing at the moment is inadequate income. As a teacher I earn KES.18,000 monthly, I have school fees to pay, food to buy for the family and clothing for all the seven of us. It always leaves me strained financially and that's why I had to take the loan. It will however be a new beginning once we get GiveDirectly's help.
