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 ($441 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have a new goal of building a new house for my family since the one that we currently stay in is too old and we also live in a grass to thatched house for a kitchen. Improving this house has always been my dream and I look forward towards doing this. Right now we are concentrating on paying school fees for our children which takes most of our time. Once we are done, we will be able to assemble all the resources from the casual work that I do and from the driving that my husband does to set up a new house. We dream of owning a much bigger and a brand new house.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving support in form of cash. This gives each person an opportunity to spend the money in the way they know best and to do so in a manner that will bring forth satisfaction to them. This to me was a wise decision.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 10000 to pay school fees for two of my children who are in secondary school and we used the remaining amount to buy food and clothes for my family. My husband works as a driver and we have been looking up to him to meet almost all our family's expenses and this transfer gave us the much needed support and boost to make ends meet. We look forward towards achieving much more even after the transfers stopped. We will however be grateful always for the support thus received from GiveDirectly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($482 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 6 pm while coming from the posho mill when I heard an SMS alert on my phone. Since it was raining at the time I could not check my phone immediately. It is when I reached my house that I checked and confirmed to have received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was very happy and immediately relayed the good news to my husband who was equally excited about receiving the good news.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the payment of my son's accommodation fees arrears. This is because we had not paid for a whole semester and my son's school is far away. I am also grateful because I now have the latest clothing fashion which I desired to have before but could only afford second-hand clothes.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a housewife and mother of five. My husband works as a driver on a contract basis and earns an income of KES 15,000 a month. From this, he caters to our food and school fees. Before GiveDirectly, I used to struggle with payment of school fees and accommodation fees for my son who is now in his third year at the University.
So when I received my transfers I used KES 24,000 on school fees payment for my sons in college, and high school and my daughter in primary school.
Secondly, I spent KES15,000 on the latest clothing fashion. This is because I always desired to buy them but due to school fees burdens, I could only afford second-hand clothes.
For the remainder of KES 5000, I used to purchase two bags of maize. This is because I normally plant maize and sweet potatoes on a small scale.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a better education to my children. We have one child in university, 1 in secondary level and the other 3 in primary level. We decided to invest in their education because of the interest we have in it. We depend on casual jobs for a living, and it drains alot of energy. My wish has been to see them secure a better job in future even if we struggle to raise their school fees. I am planing to use KES 50,000 for their school fees and other school neccessities since I have one who will join form one in some months time. The rest I will use in renovating my current house. I am glad because this will ease my financial burden.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Though we have financial crisis in our family I am happy we managed to raise school fees for my children. Like other years where their were mostly at home unlike last term they were hardly sent home for school fees.This is because I did not carry forward the previous arrears and I am happy and thankful to God.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge we are facing currently is financial constraints. We depend on subsistence farming and casual jobs where we can raise around KES 10,000 per month. Yearly, we are supposed to raise KES 150,000 for schooling my 5 children who are in University, secondary and primary level of education.
