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 ($493 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have build a better house for my sons. I do small scale farming to earn income and also to consumption. The amount of money that I get from the sales of surplus is so small and I could not save any amount to buy iron sheets. I also do small casual jobs in the village. All this small income I could use to pay school fees and other household items. My children did not had a decent house to sleep, The condition of the house was so bad. When I received the money from GiveDirectly I started to purchase the building materials and started building. My sons now have a spacious and better house to sleep and even do there homework. This has enabled me to devote much of my time on my other daily work and reduce the stress that I had. My so happy because GiveDirectly has enabled us to live in a better houses which was just a dream before.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses and improve their standards of living. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend the money I received from GiveDirectly to build a better house for my sons and the rest of the money I bought seeds and planted on my farm.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was 2pm when I was taking lunch when I heard a message notification and I was hasty to look at that message. We had been waiting eagerly waiting for the transfer as the promised day had passed. When I confirmed that it was the transfer message, I told my wife about it and we both were very happy.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My sons used to sleep at a neighbour's house but now they have their own. They do not need to go asking for a place to sleep as they used to. The transfer also enabled us to get enough food and also we do not have to worry much about where to get food to eat for the next 2 months. Thank you so much GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We built a house for my son who did not have a house of his own. We bought food for my family, paid school fees and bought school uniform for my school going children.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am blessed with six children, two girls and four boys. Out of the four boys, one married and settled while the other three are still under my care. These three boys do not have a room to stay and sleep and so my immediate neighbour decided to accommodate them. Receiving this money means that I will be able to construct a house of two rooms for them to study and sleep. In this way, they will have some privacy of their own and refrain from going to other people's household for sleep. I will then use the remaining balance to offset their school fees arrears and buy a dairy cattle.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend most of the daytime in my farm. I have grown maize, kales, cabbages and tomatoes on this farm. Knowing these crops needs a lot of care, most of my farm work includes; weeding, transplanting and pests and control practices. The happiest part of my day is in the morning when local neighbours come to my farm and buy these crops. The cash I get from the sale is a reward for my hard work and motivates me to continue working on the farm.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have been working from hand to mouth for the best part of my years. This is so because I depend solely on farming to provide basic needs to my family and also schooling my kids. The latter has been the biggest hardship I have ever faced. I have six kids and out of them, four are in tertiary level, one in secondary level while the last one is in primary level. Paying for their school fees with no regular source of income has always been an uphill task for me.
