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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.
Stages:
 
Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Rehema's Profile
Rehema's family
Rehema
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Other
faceAge:
41
workCampaign
Standard Kenya
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($518 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My son who joined secondary school this year would not have managed to join by now if it were not for GD transfers. He had done well in his final primary examinations and had a chance to join a very good school but his dreams were almost shuttered because I did not have the money to meet all the requirements of that school. I was almost resolving to take him to one of the local schools which I knew I could afford though through struggles too. Before I could make a decision, I received my transfers and used them to pay school fees and buy school requirements for him. He joined the school before deadline day which is a miracle in my life. Without the transfers, I would not have managed to raise the money to meet all his school needs in time as I did with GD transfers.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am very much pleased with how GD conducted the program in my area. It was very transparent and all-inclusive. Giving us a phone in which we will receive the transfers was just a brilliant way to ensure security of the transfers. Some of us did not have phones and this would have meant they don't receive their transfers but GD ensured that everyone in the program would get the transfer through giving us phones.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my second transfer on buying a heifer as an investment. I did not have a better way of investing at that time and the money too was not very much to start a good business hence I decided to invest in livestock. I also school fees for my children in primary school. This really helped because from then, I rarely get the frequent letters I used to get from their teachers about sending my children home for arrears. I feel I bought myself more time to raise money when the children are in school. The rest I used on buying household items such as food which had to reduce in stock and also some bedding which I felt needed upgrade. The ones we have are more than three years old and I felt it was time to get new ones.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($541 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to take care of my needs with ease. I have bought decent clothes for my children, I have a cow and a mattress. I am happy that nowadays I get a good sleep unlike before where I was sleeping on an old mattress and ended up with backaches. I am also hopeful that my children will study to the highest level with the savings that I have and the investment of a cow that I can resell.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my transfer I was very happy since I knew that I was going to achieve most of my goals. I actually read the message at around six o'clock in the morning but decided to keep calm since I did not want everyone to know that I had the money just because of my security.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my transfer to purchase a dairy cow. This decision was purposefully to carter for the future education of my children. My husband does not work and so I thought that having a cow was the best idea since I will be able to sell the calves so as to pay their school fees. I also bought a mattress. We had an old one which was uncomfortable. I am glad that nowadays, I enjoy having a good sleep. The festive occasion which is around the corner saw me purchase clothes for my children. I want them to look decent and enjoy it. I lastly saved the rest of the money for my child who will be joining high school next year.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will enable me to greatly improve on my finances. For the past 1year, I have been working as a cook in a mini hotel in Bamba center. My pay per day is ksh.150 yet I am engaged from 6:00am to 7:00pm.I hardly get any time to tend to any other business and this has greatly stagnated my progress since I hardly engage in any other income generating activity. I have always wished to break free from this cycle of poverty but it has proven futile due to lack of finances. Now that I will be receiving this money, I plan to empower myself financially by investing ksh.25,000 in starting a vegetables and fried fish business in Bamba. I will also purchase 2 oxens and an ox plough which goes for roughlyksh.40,000 to help me in improving my farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day starts at 4:00 am when I wake up to cook breakfast for my children and also prepare my 3young ones in readiness for school. By 5:30 am, I set out on foot for Bamba town where the hotel that I work in is located. It is a 30 minutes walk from my home. Once I am there , I spend the better part of my day cooking. The job in itself is very demanding since we have a large clientele and by evening around 7:00pm when I finish and I manage to set back for home, I feel very happy just at the thought of being able to spend time with my children as we share our evening meal.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Since last year when my husband lost his job, financial constraint is the biggest hardship that we have been facing. All his attempts to get a new job have been futile. My income of ksh.150 that I earn from cooking in a mini hotel in Bamba is what my family of 6 children depend on. Balancing between buying for them food,clothes,paying for their schooling and even saving a little for emergencies is the biggest calculation to make on a daily basis. I feel so bad seeing them being chased away from school and going to bed hungry simply because I lack the finances to provide for their needs.