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 ($466 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 do not have any additional goals for now and am still on the previous one that we shared earlier. Building a house for my children is what I have been praying for fit years and I am happy that I was able to achieve this. They have been sleeping at their friend's houses for quite some time and this used to frustrate me a lot. They never had the freedom or even privacy at all.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has been doing good for me and I can't afford to complain in any way. First, through the cash transfers, I was able to send all my children to school who had earlier dropped out. They are now studying without any complications. Therefore, in my opinion, I do not see any sector that GiveDirectly failed.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on clearing debt of KES 12000 to my mason who had constructed my son's house earlier on. I now have peace of mind because there will be no harassment. I am also planning to start a kiosk business within my village since they are very few in my region. Most people have been trekking to town whenever they want to purchase foodstuffs and I felt this would be a noble idea. Also with the remaining amount of money, I am using it to buy sufficient food for my children and cater to other household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($493 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 on 14th of October 2021 at around 9am when I was resting from a tedious work of fetching some water when I received a message in my phone. Since I was very tired, I reluctantly checked the message. My eyes stuck on the phone screen after realizing that it was a transfer message from GiveDirectly. I was filled with joy and jumped up and down. People who were around were surprised and asked me what the matter was but in vain, I uttered no word.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The house is the vivid evidence that shows the difference in my life. At first my children and I used to sleep in the same house thus lacking privacy. As at now I am happily living in my house enjoying the privacy I have been lacking for several years. If it were not for GiveDirectly, I couldn’t be enjoying this privacy. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for restoring my respect and the respect of my kids.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been living in a small house which was not enough to accommodate my family. After withdrawing the money, the first thing I thought of was to build a house for my children. I bought 22 pieces of iron sheets at KES 800.00 each, poles and rafters for KES 7400.00. I also paid school fee arrears of KES 6000.00 for my secondary school child. I am using the remaining amount of money in paying the contractors and also for family upkeep in terms of food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means education for my child and my grandchild. Both of them completed their basic primary education and I would wish to take them to a vocational college so that they can earn new skills which will help them in the future. I am planning to use KES 60,000 to cater for their institution fees. I will use a further KES 30,000 to develop my piece of land I bought 2 years ago. This will ensure that I get enough produce for my family's consumption given that the land is very fertile.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning. Seeing a new day has been my best experience ever. I always rejoice whenever I wake up in the morning alive and healthy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship in my life is lack of money to cater for my family's needs. The casual jobs I engage myself in are not sustainable to meet all my family's basic needs. The charcoal vending business I also do is not sustainable too and all I have been going through is suffering.
