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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($445 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My long-term goal is to install water at my compound and put up a business selling water. I am currently saving money and hopefully before the year ends my dreams will come true.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I like it when I get calls from GiveDirectly. It makes me see that Give directly values me. I also enjoy visits from the staff and I get to pour out my heart to them which is therapeutic to me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my second transfer to buy a secondhand motorbike for $260. The business has been thriving, and every day I get at least $10 that helps me buy food for my family. Before the transfer, I was doing casual jobs that did not pay well, sometime we could sleep hungry because my wife and I had no jobs and could not support the household. I have a small family, one child that is still not in school which helps me save. My wife is a stay-at-home wife which sometimes gets me overwhelmed because I pay all the bills in the house but I am planning to open a business for her soon. The income from the motorbike business helps me buy food for the family and save for emergencies.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($470 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I am a masonry and on that day; I was working on a construction site and may not use my phone while at work. After completing my work that day, as I checked my phone on my way home, I realized Give directly had sent my funds. I was so pleased that I called my wife and informed her about the cash. It was exciting because I have never received that kind of money unexpectedly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is since I received the funds is being able to extend my house and have a bigger house. With my plans to have a bigger family, I am more than confident that my family will have a pleasant shelter and we can host guests as well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have been working as a Masonry with little earnings of KES 700 per day. Most of the time, my contract would last between 2-3 days, which is not consistent and depends on the availability of the job. When I received the cash, we discussed it with my wife and bought some items in the house that we couldn’t afford, like a bed and mattress which cost KES 10,800. During the same discussion, she also advised me to visit her home and pay part of her dowry with KES 8500. She also took KES 5000 and bought food that would last us for the next one month. The entire amount was spent on extending our two-roomed house because we both wanted to have a bigger house to accommodate my plans of having more children because at the moment we only have one child.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been relying on casual labour to support my family of three. However, the unreliability nature of this job has made it impossible for me to fully sustain my family. My plan is to find a way of diversifying my financial sources. With the GiveDirectly transfers, I am planning to spend KES 35,000 to open a retail shop in the village. Most people are forced to walk for over a kilometre to access the nearest kiosk. I will prioritize on the sale of food products such as maize flour, cooking oil, vegetable and wheat flour. I will use the surplus to buy food for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being alive and healthy has brought joy in my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have been struggling to secure a consistent job in the village. This is because most youths are yearning for the limited opportunities. Sometimes I go a whole week without a job and forced to buy goods on credit from the shops around so that my family members can have something to eat.
