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 realized that farming alone will not be enough to fully meet my family needs thus I have a plan to start a business. In the next four months, I plan to use my income from tea leaves sales to put up a shop. We have to go far to access the nearest shops in our area thus starting one will guarantee customers. I prefer a business since I believe the monthly transfer from GiveDirectly will help me in stocking my business.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I am a hardworking subsistence farmer who always struggles to improve my farming for better yields. For the entire past of my life, poor yields had been my regular returns. I had always faced food shortages in our family and we were forced to spend a lot on our food. In the last four months, I have improved my farming mechanism and employed use of hybrid seed and artificial fertilizer to bring better products. I feel this is the greatest change in my daily life since I am assured of better yields that will be enough for my household consumption and sales hence will have minimal expenditures. Besides, I also boosted my income by buying tea leaves from people's farms for resale. This will not only increase my monthly income but also boost my tea bonus next year. I am happy that this has reduced my frequent casual jobs thus I have enough time to relax and more time on my farm.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I have improved my farming mechanism and employe use of hybrid seed and artificial fertilizer to bring better products thus in the next six months I expect in the next six months to have enough farm products for both household consumption and sales hence will have minimal expenditures. I expect the income from farming and profits from my business to cater for my family needs especially my child fee who is yet to join the school. In the next six months, I see myself to be living better in that I will be running my own business hence wouldn't engage in hard casual jobs anymore.
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?
Comparing the last four months with my current life, I can say that there has been a great difference. Many have changed and more are still changing just because of the monthly transfers I have been receiving. Before receiving these transfers, I was struggling too much on people's farms. Doing casual labor was the order of the day that I could not concentrate on my own projects. Currently, I have embarked on farming which has proved to be more productive than the casual work I was doing before. I have a new house which I never had before and it is an encouraging feeling that we are still receiving this transfer for quite sometimes.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
With the current saving spirit, I have been running my projects of late with a lot of ease. Goal after goal, I have been able to accomplish with impressive results. I now have a new goal to shift my child from the public primary school to a nearby private school where she can get a quality education. This has been my longtime goal but at this moment I have seen the possibility of achieving it soon as I have saved enough money for the same. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the amazing support that they have accorded us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Many differences have so far been registered in my life since I started receiving the transfers from GiveDirectly. The biggest difference of all is the progressive and encouraging saving scheme which we started with other members within the village. This has really saved me a great deal since I have been able to construct a new house, purchased and plant maize and beans seeds and also purchased enough foodstuff after my turn in the merry-go-round group. I am still working hard to save more so that I can start a small business which will ensure continuity of the projects even after receiving the very last transfer from GiveDirectly.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I am expecting to have started a small business where I will be buying and selling tea leaves. It's been my hope that I would one day start this business since my tea leaves have not matured enough to be picked. This business will enable me to obtain registration with the cooperative society which I will still be using in selling my own produce from the farm. With the monthly transfers I have been receiving, I will be using part of it to run this small business and part of it in funding the ongoing merry-go-round.
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 because I have expanded my tea leaves business. I deliver more leaves to my factory number which has increased my income. I use apart of transfers to buy tea leaves that I now fetching me more money as I sell it for a profit. The money I get from the business is used to meet my daily needs and save more for my children's education who will be joining school next year.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, I plan to build a small shop where I can sell my fruits and also start shop busines.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life is the business I have started using the transfers I received in January. I started a fruits business in my home and I sell this to many people in my village. This has become a good source of income that earns me about KES 300 per day. This income is what I currently use to meet the needs of my household. I don't depend anymore on tea plucking menial jobs that were very unreliable and low paying.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have expanded my tea leaves business and will have built a shop to use in trading. This will make doing business better and more accessible hence a higher income.
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 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 I have invested in merry go round contribution and can now access basic amenities like soap.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to built my own shop by selling fruits and saving towards it.
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 expand my fruits selling business.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I am expecting my kid to have started school and to have started my own shop.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 7 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I run my fruits business under a temporary structure I am now planning to build a permanent business structure the one thing I would not have done without the transfer.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I believe my life is currently different because I have another source of income which blends well with what I have always dreamed of achieving. I do not struggle as much I could have done had I not received these transfers.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
By the end of six I will have built a bigger business space that is permanent. I will also be running a tea buying business. I see my living standards will have improved at the end of six months.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My ability to start a fruit business is the biggest step I have made in my life by the help of this transfer. I usually pick tea on casual basis but the earnings were meager and could not cater for other extra needs apart from my daily household needs.
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is when their is drought in our area and thus tea production drops hence little bonus at the end of the year.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of my day is morning when I woke up healthy and strong to start the day's work.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer to start a new business for example open a kiosk
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proudest of is after marriage and I settle with my husband and start our new life together.