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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($430 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I would like to open another business and sell new clothes, and fabrics. I would also like to buy a dairy cow that will help me sell milk and increase my sources of income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The organization advises us on how to guard the money which helps us be cautious. I also like visits from the staff and I can talk on a one-on-one basis.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the past 10 years, I have been a tailor. Back in the day, they were few tailors in the village, and I would get a lot more money than nowadays. These days I get $2 a week. This money helps me buy food for my family. The money is not always enough to cater to my family's needs and most times my husband helps pay school fees for my children. My husband works as a mechanic. Receiving this money has helped me pay school fees for my three children, two in college and one in high school at $340, and spent the rest on food.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($465 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the funds quite late in the evening that day at around eight in the night when I was making dinner for my family. On seeing the that I had finally received the money, it felt as though I had been hit by a sudden surge of almost electrifying excitement just because at the time I really needed the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
As I had mentioned prior, my daughter finished high-school last year, but since I had failed to clear her tuition debt she could not clear from the school a get her results to enroll for further studies. Therefore through these funds I am glad that I finally managed to settle the debt and also ensured that I my other child stayed in school since he had quite a huge debt in fees that was yet to get paid.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
About two years, my husband and I joined forces so that we could finally build our family home. Luckily we managed to begin building the house, but we could not manage to do proper finishing on our home because we ran out of money. So when I finally recethe transfers, I decided to use some of it to finish up on so.e parts of the structure that were incomplete. I ended paying a deposit of KES 20,000 so that I could finally get windows made from iron for my house. I also had a debt in tuition for two of my children. One happened to be my son who was on the verge of being kicked out of school, so I paid KES 18,000 and paid KES 13,000 for my daughter who had finished high-school last year but I still owed the school school fees. Meanwhile I used the rest of the transfers to ensure that I sort after nourishment for my family and I.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My firstborn and second-born completed high school in 2019 and 2021 respectively and they have not yet joined any college because of a lack of school fees. I have tried all my means at least to take one to college but they have been fruitless.
As we speak the second born has school fee arrears of 21,000 KES which am supposed to clear so that I can get her academic certificates.
Receiving this money means using 100,000 KES to at least take one to college.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I attended the closing ceremony of my third born at Arloste school who is in class seven. The ceremony was so colourful and I truly enjoyed it.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am renovating my house but currently, I am stuck. I need 50,000 KES to completely renovate it.
I am a tailor and the season is very low, I can spend the whole day without getting a single customer.