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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The transfers have enabled me to own electronics that I did not have in my house before such as iron box, sound system and a television. I had always wanted to have such items but could not due to financial constraints caused by my lack of sufficient income. I have also had easier days in taking care of my household needs such as rent payment that I now manage to do on time.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I have plans of constructing a new house back in my rural home and I hope that these transfers will enable me to buy the rest of the required materials. I had started purchasing the necessary construction materials but had to stop when I encountered some personal problems which seriously derailed the project which I had hoped would be over by last year. I have decided to be realistic with the project and given myself enough time to gather the requirements which I hope will be taken care of by the transfers.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was behind on my rent for the month so when I received the money, I used most of it to clear the arrear so that I would not
have problems with my landlord. I spent some of the money on foodstuff and other household requirements then save the little I had left.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
3997 KES ($39 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have always depended on income from small casual work jobs for my daily income. Since they don't pay very well, I have always struggled to raise money to meet all my needs. Ever since I started receiving these transfers, I have felt relieved in handling my needs because I don't struggle as before. At least these days I can spend and still spare some amount of money for savings which is a very big step in my life. All these are happening because of GD transfers. I also have new household items which I did not have before. I have bought new seats and I no longer have to sit on jerricans while in the house. I can spend time in my hose comfortably because I have where to sit on while relaxing unlike before when I would prefer visiting my friends instead of spending time alone in the house.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My only goal, for now, is to buy building materials. Currently, I do not have a house back home and whenever I go home, I have to sleep at my friend's house. This is not a good show since I stay in an urban setup and the community expects me to have built since I am exposed to better resources and opportunity than those staying in the rural area.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer on paying my house rent. I had not been paid at my place of work and the payment was due. I would not want to keep my landlord waiting until we had disagreements on the same. I also used part of my transfer to boost my food stock in the house. I find it easy to buy food in bulk once a month. It's cost-effective and less expensive than buying on a daily basis. The rest of the transfer I have saved for future use.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
5000 KES ($49 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Due to low income, I could not afford to take my little daughter to a normal kindergarten so I opted to be leaving her under the care of a neighbour whenever we were not at home at a small cost. These transfers have made it possible for us to enrol her in a normal kindergarten/daycare where her security and development is assured as she also gets to learn. My general look as a person has also improved over the months as I have been able to invest in personal items such as clothes and shoes. It is quite embarrassing to admit that I had only one pair of decent shoe before which is no longer the case because I have managed to buy a few more.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I have been living in Nairobi since I was born, but my mother permanently relocated back to our native home a few months back. Now that she is back at home, I want to build a house of my own there so that whenever I visit her, I will have somewhere to sleep and privacy. I have plans of saving some of these transfers so that I can be able to buy the required materials to build the house before this project ends.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used part of the money I received this month to pay my rent which is usually my first priority for security purposes then paid for a yoghurt making training am currently taking with some of it. The little amount I had left was spent on foodstuff and transport to the learning location.
4th Payment
Transfer Amount
5000 KES ($50 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
After receiving the transfer, I now have bigger dreams. Owning my business is one goal that was inspired by the transfers. I am planning to open my own jua kali business. This is going to be possible after my savings from the table banking will have matured.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am employed as a jua kali artisan. I earn KES 300 daily from this job. This money is barely enough for my own needs and that of my family. We struggle a lot. Receiving the transfer for me is like redemption from jaws of poverty. I joined a table banking group which from it I am going to get over KES 40,000. This for me it would be good capital to start my own workshop. I am already excited about this idea and as soon as I implement it I am going to have a steady and better source of income. These transfers on the other hand have enabled me to meet part of my basic needs.My life is much better as at now.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent this month's transfer on paying rent worth KES 2500.
I then spent KES 2500 on my daily expenditure. Of these KES 2500 most went towards buying food, my transport to and from work and airtime. I have no steady source of income that is why I spent the transfer on most of my needs.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
It was an exciting moment for me. The 5 am alarm on my phone rung notifying me that I had to wake up. I lazily stretched my hand to pick the phone to snooze it in order to continue with sleep. Before I could even snooze it I saw a message and upon opening it, Alas! the transfers were here. I was excited that I lost sleep. I just stared on the ceiling in excitement while thanking God. It was like an answered prayer since I had slept hungry that night.
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I will spend my transfers to expand my shoe-selling business. I sell men's shoes part time, in my neighborhood where I have a stall/shop that I stock the shoes. I will expand this business by incorporating both children and ladies shoes in my shop. Secondly, I will build a house for myself back in my rural home. In my culture, I am required to have built my own house in my paternal homestead by now. I had not built a house because I lacked finances. I am happy I can now build a house for myself and have a more respectable place to stay whenever I visit my home. Finally, I will use my transfers to go back to school to study professional "Waiting" services. I have worked as a waiter before at a hotel in Westlands in Nairobi county. I enjoyed this job and I hope to study to get more skills in "waiting" So I can have the chance to practice the profession.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is having unresolved conflicts with people because it brings a lot of issues between people. I also tend to feel uncomfortable in such situations which interferes with my peace of mind. My second concern is accumulated debts because of the pressure it brings to pay up, and also the conflict that can arise from a situation where I fail to repay a debt on time. My third concern is discrimination because whenever am discriminated, I always feel sad and I feel as though am not valuable. I have experienced discrimination before where I work. From my own judgement, I feel this was based on my age. I have had to endure harsh words from one of the supervisors, that made me feel like I didn't deserve to be at my place of work because of my age.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambition is to own a large shoe stall/shop in Ngara Area of Nairobi County. I hope to grow my shoe business from my shop in Mathare, Area 4 village to Ngara market in the CBD. Ngara has a large market for clothes and shoes where customers from all over Nairobi visit on a day to day basis. This will ensure I have both sufficient market and a good income.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
My usual day begins at 5:00am in the morning when I wake up. I prepare for work where we report at 7:00am and begin work at 8:00am. I work as a construction hand-man at a construction site in Buruburu Estate in Nairobi county. My job here is to assist with carrying bricks, doing some clean up, mixing cement and any other job in the site required of me. I leave work at 5:00pm and head to my house where I freshen up and prepare myself a meal. In my free time I enjoy to work out at a local gym in my neighborhood, I like weight-lifting which makes me more flexible to handle any challenging tasks that require strength in my work. I also enjoy watching football and listening to "Classic FM", a local radio station in Kenya.
