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 ($521 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
If I could not have received the transfer I could not have managed to pay for my children school fee and they could even drop out of school. But I am now happy because they in school.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion give directly did well by training people before they could start the program, this helped so many people by making the right decision while spending the money. It was also a good idea by giving us unconditional money since people have different priorities.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent most of the transfer to pay secondary school fee for my daughter who was sent home for fees arrears. My daughter has been staying home for sometimes since I was not able to pay for her school fee arrears, I was so much stressed because I was not sure when I was going to get money to pay for my daughter school fee. I thank God give directly came to my rescue and I managed to pay her school fee and now my daughter is in school learning like other students. I also spent most of the transfer to add more building materials as I a, planing to build a spacious comfortable house, since I am staying in a very small house that can not accommodate me with my family. When I have visitors I would always prefer carrying chairs outside and sitting with them out side the house for them to be comfortable. The remaining balance I spent to buy solar for lighting my house being that I was using tin lump and this was very expensive because I would by parrafin daily.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($535 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
attach_money
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Seeing my girls happy warms my heart. At least now they have the basics every other teenage girl would wish for. Nice clothes,nice underpants, sanitary towels and to make it best,they did not drop out of school. When I watch them when they are from taking a bath,and they have changed to clean nice clothes, my heart melts. I feel like a parent who has achieved something in my daughter's lives. I feel so bad that poverty made me fail them and failed on my parental duties.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 5.00 am when I woke up to respond to a call of nature and when I came back, I saw my phone lights blink, checking, I confirmed I had received 55000 KES from GiveDirectly, I was so happy and excited. I cannot lie, In my entire life, I have never held such an amount in my hands. I wished daylight could come at that time.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent most part of my first transfer on paying school fees for my children who are in secondary school. I am a widow, and juggling between paying school fees and buying food for my children was not easy with the little money I get from the casual jobs I do. Trust me if GiveDirectly could not have come the time they did, my children would have dropped out of school. Honestly,I had given up on there education for lack of money. They did not even have good clothes like the current teenage girls. This used to embarrass me a lot and I could get scared when I saw young men coming around them with the imagination that they would lure them with gifts, those things I could not afford to give for lack of money and this could ruin their life. Making them drop out of school or even suffer from teenage unwanted pregnancies. Some of the money I spent on building materials that I used to build a nice house. My vegetation is mostly covered in sugarcane and there is nowhere to get grass that one could use to cover the grass thatched roofs like mine. You have to go inter-county to get grass, and you have to buy it.Most of the time I could even afford this. I used to be rained on a lot and I felt so frustrating even to my young children. I am glad this is not the case after I managed to build a more decent house.
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to build my own house as the one I stay in belongs to my late grandmother. I will buy school uniform for my kids, food to eat and start a small business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I kneel down and pray to God for protection. This makes me happy as He has guided me through my difficult moments in life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face in my life is that I do not have a stable source of income and getting food to feed my family is a challenge while I also have a grandchild who needs food.