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 ($442 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?
My new goal now is to get some money and rent a piece of land for farming. I wish to invest in horticulture farming. I will plant three months' crops including beans, tomatoes, and potatoes. I will sell the produce to earn some income to support my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well in that the gives money to the poor in the community to better their lives. Most people have built better houses and purchased dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 40,000 on purchasing a piece of land. I lived on a small farm and I was not able to do small farming. I have always wished to own a bigger land but I did not have the money to buy it. I depend on casual jobs and the money that I would get was so small. I did not have a stable source of income. I am so happy now that I have purchased land. With the remaining amount of money, I put up a small house. I have relocated and I am living happily now. GiveDirecly has improved my living standard and enabled me to achieve my dream of owning land.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($475 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 8 Am when I turned on my phone. Immediately I got a message notification indicating that I have received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy because I knew GiveDirectly has fulfilled its promise. I immediately inform my family members and everyone celebrated the good news. It was one of the happiest days of our lives. This is because we have never gotten such an amount of money before. I knew I would be able to buy goats and bought the building materials as I had planned. I went and withdrew the money the same day. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has improved our standards of living.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Purchasing four dairy goats at the cost of KES 20,000 is the biggest difference in my daily life. This is because I used to buy milk daily and it was so costly for me. I depend on casual jobs and small-scale farming. The amount of money that I get through this is so small and I use it in meeting up on our daily bread. There was no savings or extra money to invest in any projects. Currently, I have four dairy goats. I am able to milk them and get enough milk for my family. This has actually made me not incur the daily cost of buying milk like before. I have devoted much of my time to this project and I wish to improve and grow it to another level. Goats reproduce faster and help whenever there is an emergency at home. The cost of feeding the goats is easy and simple. I am so grateful because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfill my dream of owning a goat rearing project. I will buy a dairy cow in the near future. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 20,000 to purchase four daily goats. This is one of the biggest investments that I had always wished to invest in. I milk the goats and I can get enough milk for my family. This has enabled me to cut the daily cost of buying milk. Unspent KES 8,500 on purchasing iron sheets and other building materials. I am waiting for the second transfer so that I can stay in the construction process. We live in a small grass-thatched house that cannot host all my family members comfortably. The rest of the money I spent on food and clothes for my family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a stable source of income for my family. My husband and I rely on casual jobs which is unreliable to earn a living. We work at people's farms which is the peak in the rainy season, and during dry seasons we struggle to make ends meet. I plan on venturing into dairy farming by buying two lactating cows with KES 70,000 and building a cowshed that will cost me KES 15,000. I project on getting 9 liters of milk per day from which I can sell 7 liters at KES 210. It will be consistent income that will help us meet other basic needs and save for the future. My four children will also have enough milk to drink which is vital in their growth. I am delighted as Give directly will improve our lives.
What is the happiest part of your day?
We live in a semi-arid area but for the last six months, we have had consistent rainfall. This means enough water for drinking and domestic use compared to previously when we used to go 5 kilometers to fetch clean and safe water. I had developed waist problems because I used to carry water on my back as I do not own a donkey that could have helped. I am happy that I am getting better as water is plentiful in the river a hundred meters away.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge we are facing currently is food insecurity. As you can see, our land is small and not enough to cultivate food for my family of six. I, therefore, lease land from my neighbor to plant maize which I consider expensive compared to if I owned enough to till. Because of this, I purchase foodstuffs from the market to supplement what we harvest from the farm.
