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 ($421 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My ambition for the coming year is to open a retail shop to increase my profit and to have a secure location where I can store my goods. To achieve this goal, I intend to obtain a loan from the merry-go-round group, which I intend to repay in small installments. I am happy with what I have accomplished thus far, and I am grateful.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly's assistance has improved the lives of my village mates. I lack words to express my heartfelt joy and happiness. In my opinion, the organization did an excellent job of empowering both young and old people without discriminating against anyone. The officers took their time visiting each household and examining the living conditions of all the houses without relying on grapevine information.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had begun construction on a house in the village but had abandoned it halfway due to financial constraints. When I received my transfer, I planned to use it to plaster the floor of my house. As a result, I spent $360 on house renovations. This has been my most significant accomplishment. My husband is a motorcycle rider, and we have five children together. I am a farmer and businesswoman who ran an open-air shop. We are grateful for the greatest accomplishment that we have accomplished in a short period, which was previously not possible due to school fees and the needs of our children, which was our main priority.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 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 around 8:30 am when I received the exciting news of the receipt of the transfer from GiveDirectly. With great happiness, I could not resist showing it up to my family members who were taking breakfast at that moment. Everyone was so happy that we paused all the activities we had to celebrate the morning blessings. After a joyous moment, we had to align all we needed and finally settled on collecting all the money from the nearby shopping center two days later.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Investing in livestock farming, which has been the family's principal source of income alongside the small business that we had been running, is the biggest difference in my daily life. This has rejuvenated my hope of realizing a better income in the future from the milk products whose selling will boost the business we had been doing.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
At the moment, I have five dairy animals in my field, three lactating cows, and two heifers. Feeding them has been so hard during the dry season that we grew more feeds after receiving the first transfer. With KES 5000, I got sugarcane and Nappier grass cuttings and paid for the labor that worked on the planting. I also injected KES 15000 into the business that we had been running with my spouse. Even though it was slowly getting weaker, I am glad that it is now working well and promising with the increased clients we had been receiving. In addition, I spent KES 10000 of the remaining amount on clearing the semester's tuition fees for my daughter and used the remaining amount on obtaining household goods, including foodstuff and new pairs of clothes for my family of five. We are all happy and looking forward to the second transfer that will boost other ongoing projects.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
We live in a small piece of land, 1 acre and I feel it limiting us in terms of farming. I would like to do dairy farming however I do not have enough space for cows to graze. So when I receive this transfer I will spend KES 10,000 to purchase certified seeds for Boma Rhodes and Napier grass. I will then convert to zero-grazing since I will have feeds for them. I foresee that their products will improve and my family can then enjoy milk without limit and the surplus I will sell to generate income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I participate in village table banking and I received a contribution of KES 70,000 which I used to purchase a dairy cow. Milk production increased and I sell the surplus to generate income. This has brought joy and happiness into my life since I use the income to purchase other foods for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is food insecurity. Crop farming is no longer doing well in our area due to unfavorable weather conditions. We are experiencing a long drought season and the presence of Lethal Necrosis affecting maize made the situation worse. We are now forced to depend on vendors to get food. Getting money to purchase food is also a challenge and stressful as I depend on my cow for milk production whose yield has reduced due to insufficient feeds.
