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 ($441 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My next move would be for me to start up a goat-rearing project. I believe that this is easy to manage since there is a forest nearby. I am optimistic that with hard work and determination I would realise this goal from my business profits.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Receiving the unconditional transfer has been the most significant thing that happened in my life. The support uplifted our living standards amazingly. We are forever indebted to the organization. GiveDirectly does its work in an organized way does, nothing needs to be changed in how it does its work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband is a consistent farmer and I am a businesswoman at a local shopping centre where I run a retail shop. Together, we have three children. Receiving money from GiveDirectly made me realise my goals in real-time. My immediate need was for me to purchase a dairy cow to reduce its cost daily. Therefore, I saw it fit to use KES 38,000 to buy a healthy cow. This was not possible before because of the financial constraints. Thereafter, I used the remaining amount in purchasing foodstuffs and other household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($467 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I still remember vividly that it was in the evening after waking up when I realized that I had an unread message. I was not feeling well and had decided to take a nap. My heart was filled with joy upon reading its contents and this money gave me the strength to go and buy what I would prepare for dinner.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Being a vegetable vendor, I make approximately KES 100 a day and this is not enough to cater for a days meal. Because of this, we would at times take tea without milk so that we would have money to use in buying maize flour. With the help from GiveDirectly, I no longer buy milk and maize flour since I was able to purchase a dairy cow and two sacks of maize that will still last us for a few weeks. This has transformed my daily life as I no longer worry about what we will eat.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I spent KES 35000 on the purchase of a dairy cow. This is an investment that will not only enable me to save the money that I would otherwise spend on milk daily but also earn income through the sale of surplus. I have been buying vegetables at the market and selling them to people in our village. The money from this business is not enough to cater to our basic needs especially during the rainy season when most people have vegetables on their farms. Using the remaining KES 19000, I used KES 2000 to pay school fees for my three children, spent KES 3000 on two chairs, and used the remaining amount on two sacks of maize for our consumption, clothes, utensils, and other kinds of foodstuffs.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will fulfill our desire of owning a dairy cow. We have been depending on our parents for milk for sometime now. We have always wanted to own our own but due to inadequate finances, it has not been possible.We are halfway glad that at last the dream of owning a cow is coming into fruition, thanks to Give Directly. We live next to a government forest and there are plenty of pastures that will go a long way in feeding the cow. We intend to buy a dairy cow worth KES 50000 for milk consumption and to sell the surplus to get disposable income, we will use the rest of the money to buy foodstuffs for household consumption and to buy clothes for my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband recently visited home last month and we were extremely happy to have him around. It had taken along time before visiting us. Our young son is so fond of him and he was overjoyed to see his father.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We are people of very little means, my husband is a herds man in the nearby Transmara West district while I survive on casual jobs that pay little. Our income does not make ends meet and the little we get goes towards the purchase of maize for consumption. So sad is the situation that we hardly afford decent clothes for our children. I feel so embarrassed when my children are a subject of ridicule as a result of tattered clothes, especially the school uniform. That is the main challenge that is giving me sleepless nights at the moment.
