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 biggest goal right now is for me to expand the goat rearing project, I am optimistic that with it, I will be able to cater for the school fees needs of my children, I also look forward to buying a dairy cow to earn an extra income from the milk products, I am so happy with the transfer that I received that was an eye-opener to greatness.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly is a straightforward organization, they had a goal to achieve in giving out unrestricted cash to everyone in the village who met the criteria, and they kept their promise, I am happy that the young and the old were empowered equally, on my end so far I have not seen anything that was not done well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving my transfer I prioritised clearing the school fees arrears so that my children would study at ease, I was unable to clear the fees before due to unreliable sources of income, I depend on farming to earn an income though what I earn is not enough to cater for all our needs, I have four children who are schooling, thus I used KES 10,000 for fees, I then bought goats at KES 10,000 to add on my goat rearing project, in addition to that I used KES 2500 on farming and KES 5000 on furniture, lastly, I used the remaining amount on foodstuffs and clothes. I am grateful for the support that brought so much happiness to my life.
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?
I was at home doing my house chores when I heard my phone ringing, it was exactly 9:am upon checking the message I saw a Mpesa notification showing that I had received KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly, I was overwhelmed with joy upon receiving the money, I knew that I was going to buy a cow just the way I had planned, my hopes were revived that finally, I would be able to earn an income. I am grateful for the support that changed my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that I have managed to accomplish so much that I never thought that I would have achieved in a short period, in that, I bought a dairy cow meaning that I would be able to save up on the costly. I then managed to pay school fees, which meant that my children could comfortably study without any fear or worries of been sent home. I am so grateful for the support that I was given.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a farmer and a mother of three school-going children. I wanted a project that is sustainable and easy to manage, therefore I thought of starting a dairy cow project in which I used KES 23,000 in buying a cow, I then used KES 9000 in buying furniture like seats, a table and a bed. In addition to that, I paid KES 5000 school fees for my secondary school child, I am hopeful that with time I will be able to make a living out of the dairy cow, lastly, I used the remaining part of the transfer in buying foodstuffs. I am grateful for the support that made me realize my dreams.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My dream has been to see my children excel in their education so does receiving this money mean to me. We have been struggling to make ends meet and send our children to school. I have three school-going children, one in secondary level and two in primary level. Due to hard economic times, paying school fees and meeting other domestic expenses have been hard to come by. My husband is a casual laborer (tea leaves plucking) in a far place from here earning an average wage of Ksh 300 a day. The whole school expenses for both primary and secondary school-going children is Ksh 20,000 a year. Owing to the nature of my husband's work, we are unable to settle these expenses and thus relying on a loan. My intention, therefore, is to spend my first transfer to settle school fees arrears and repay debts. Settling their fees arrears relates to a fulfilled dream a move that will set a pace to see them through their academic excellence.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening. This is because I spend my morning hours working on our one acre of land where we have grown maize and at the same time looking after other people's livestock within the village. I spend the rest of the afternoon looking after the livestock and taking them to the river for water. After taking back the livestock in the evening, I am given some milk as an appreciation. Going back home with some milk for my family in the evening is the happiest part of my day. This shows my children will not go to bed empty stomach.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
A prolonged period of drought has been the biggest hardship we have faced in life. Lack of sufficient rainfall in our region has cause mental turmoil. Over the last 8 years, we have experienced low rainfall in our region and this has reduced crop production. We have an acre of land which we have grown maize for domestic consumption. Initially, we used to harvest approximately 8 bags of maize unlike now where we hardly harvest 2 bags. These two bags are unsustainable for one year and thus forcing us to opt for casual labor as an alternative. Give Directly's entry in our village is a sigh of relief to us.
