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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Personally I depended on burning and selling charcoal in the past to earn a living but nowadays there is barely any trees to burn for charcoal which made life very hard. Therefore this funds came at the right time for me and my family because the funds have provided us the financial support which we were initially straining with.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the transfers from GiveDirectly, I decided I should begin by catering to matters of nutrition and so I decided to buy ten packets of maize flour where one cost me KES 120 so it accumulated to KES 1,200. As for what remained I used KES 400 to pay for a debt that I had because I borrowed money from somebody as a loan so that I could use it as transportation fee when I left to withdraw the funds from GiveDirectly. I also took KES 100 and bought sugar and KES 150 I used to buy laundry detergent. The balance that I remained with was about KES 1,150 which I left in my savings account for future projects I had in mind.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It took me several days before I could withdraw my transfer because of the sim-card challenge. I had to travel to Kaloleni to have the problem fixed. When I finally withdrew the money, I was thrilled. I thanked God for the blessings because this was a miracle for me. I informed my children about the good news and they were happy.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference the transfer has made for me is to enable me to buy food for my family. Times have been very hard and challenging for me. Few days before receiving the transfer we slept hungry because I lacked money to buy anything to eat. I did not sell any back of charcoal. When I eventually got the transfer and bought the food, it was such a tremendous relief for me and my family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When my husband passed away, I became the sole breadwinner of the family. I have had to survive doing some manual jobs to put food on the table for my family. My health has been deteriorating ever since I started engaging in these manual jobs. I collect firewood and also burn some twigs to make charcoal for sale. The little I earn from the sale of the charcoal is very little and is just enough to buy food. During the rainy seasons, I do plant some vegetables which I later sell to other people and earn some money from it. When I enrolled into GiveDirectly program, it thrilled me that the transfer was going to help me greatly. KSH 400 from the transfer was used to pay a debt. The amount I borrowed from my friend I spent on transport back and forth from home to Kaloleni, where I went to have my sim-card fixed so that I could withdraw the transfer. I bought 5 packets of 2kg maize flour at KSH 670 as food for my family. I did not have any money to buy food, and the transfer had come to my rescue and bought the flour.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
The indigenous cows are not so productive and even though I own two of them I cannot boast of their returns. It has therefore put me on a quest to own a dairy cow. With the farming lessons taught at our self-help group by a veterinary officer, I believe I have the relevant knowledge to raise such a delicate animal. My dream is almost coming to reality as I will save 1500 KES out of my monthly transfers to purchase one. This will mean a constant supply of milk in my village to generate income, as well as household consumption.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My entire day is spent out in the fields looking after livestock. The drought has made pasture very scarce and I have to go a long way to find some. Getting back home in the evening after such a tough day gives me relief.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Poor rainfall patterns have rendered farming, which is my only occupation, useless. At the moment my two children are the ones responsible for my survival. Since they have their own families, their support is quite limited. Getting my basic needs is therefore an issue because I cannot engage in any hard jobs due to chest problems.
