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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($466 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My new goal is to be able to raise money that will enable me pay my school fees at the university. I normally rely on helb loan from the government to pay the fee and I remain with a balance of KES 23000 which I have to seek with the help of my husband. My husband recently graduated thanks to GiveDirectly transfers but he has not secured a reliable job yet that would enable him raise the money easily. Furthermore, we have a daughter who recently turned two years and we are thinking about paying her school fees as she strts her education journey as well. If I had money definitly this would be top of my priorities.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GD did well in enrolling everyone within our village and empowering us with cash for all of us to make decisions on how we could spend. Tjis gave us the freedom to easily make decisions on how best we could spend the money to reap maximum benefits.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used an amount totallying to KES 50000 from the second transfer to pay my school fees and that of my husband. The money came at a time that my husband badly needed the money in order for him to be allowed to graduate and I also needed money to be able to sit for my end of semester exam. We are happy that GiveDirectly enabled us realize this and made our dreams come true. As a family we feel so much indebted to GiveDirectly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($496 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
On this Thursday morning, I was at school doing my studies. At 9 a.m, I received a message notification informing me that I'd received the cash transfer from GiveDirectly. I was ecstatic. I knew I was finally going to have some relief from the financial burden I had been carrying as a student and mother.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having a decent place to call home is a dream come true for my family of three.
Before receiving this transfer, we lived in a mud house that was in terrible condition. Apart from the fact that it was falling apart, the roof would leak whenever it rained. I longed for the day when we could have enough money to build a new house. Being a student with no source of income, I could not afford to change our living conditions.
This transfer, however, enabled us to do just that. Our new house is a modern, spacious home that meets our family's needs. My child does not have to endure cold nights anymore. I couldn't be more grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For a long time, my family lived in sad, poor conditions. We lived in a grass-thatched house and the roof would leak whenever it rained. So you can imagine how happy I was to receive this transfer. I spent KES 21,000 on the construction of a new, modern house. This amount covered the cost of building material including timber, bricks, iron sheets, and labour. Additionally, I spent KES 5,500 on the purchase of food such as maize and beans. I'm glad that we now have enough food for the household. Finally, I spent KES 17,350 on paying school fees for my new semester. One of my goals is to complete my education and I'm thankful that this transfer has made that possible.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We have been living in a single-roomed house with a leaking grass-thatched roof since we have never afforded to build a better one. Precisely, we have been struggling to raise our school fees (mine and that of my husband). Hence, receiving this money means that our lives shall dramatically improve because we shall build a better house with an iron sheet roof. As such, our self-esteem and comfort shall improve. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the timely intervention.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Since I am currently a student who depends primarily on my husband to raise fees, the happiest part of my day is in the morning when I am handling some farming tasks. This makes me feel that I am offering some value to my family by at least getting some crops for consumption and the sale of any surpluses. Some food and income would probably ease the pressures we are facing regarding family sustenance and academic development.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband's humble background acts as the biggest hardship we have faced in life. This is because all the hurdles we are going through emanate from his family. His single parent has no reliable source of income, something that has made us not afford to pay our university fees. In brief, my husband's graduation has been delayed due to fee arrears accumulated up to 1340 USD. Since I friend solely on my husband's income to raise my university fees, failure for him to graduate worsens the situation since he cannot get permanent emplyment. In that regard, we rely on his relatively low income of about 70 USD monthly. I am looking forward to joining the second year in the university any time soon, though I do not have the required fees now.
