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 ($518 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
A few months I got employed in a nearby primary school where I am teaching class one pupils. The income has been very little which only serves on meeting my family's daily needs only. Therefore GiveDirectly has changed my life since I am self employed after stocking the motorcycle spare part business and it more stable. The profits that I get from the business, I am saving with the intention of expanding it to be a wholesale business. I also appreciate the fact that I have created employment as well the person who is looking after the business.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion , I love the fact that GiveDirectly took a step to conducting door to door visits at enrollment stage that gave out a clear reflection of the high levels of poverty in our area. Secondly, GiveDircetly fulling its promise was very moving to me.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my second transfer to stocking my motorcycle spare part business that I had started it up with the first transfer. Today , the business is stable and serves as an extra source of income that would be very reliable in terms of emergencies which might occur in my household. The remaining amount I have saved in case of any flop of the business it will serve as a booster.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Having done research and realized motorcycle business was a major source of employment to many youths, I decided to start a motorcycle spare part vending business. Unfortunately, the capital I had at that time made it impossible to run it and collapsed since I could not afford to stock the spare parts that most clients wanted as they were very expensive. In order to make an income I got employed in a nearby primary school where I am teaching class one pupils. The income has been very little which only serves on meeting my family's daily needs only. The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am self employed since I have reopened this business again with GiveDirectly's transfer. The profits that I get from my retail motorcycle spare part shop as well as my income, I am saving with the intention of expanding it to be a larger scale business. This is because I believe it will be more of a turning point since the generated income from the business will be massive to improve my standards of living and create employment as well .
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
When I heard my phone ring at order hours in the morning. I felt anxious and a little bit scared since it was quite unusual for me to receive messages at such hours. I quickly checked to confirm the content of the message. I had actually received KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I felt very happy. This meant that I was finally going to be able to achieve most of my set goals in life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to stocking my motorcycle spare part business which had collapsed earlier due to lack of enough capital to run it . Today , I am a smiling individual since I have an extra source of income that would be very reliable in terms of emergencies which might occur in my household. The remaining amount I have saved in case of any flop of the business it will serve as a booster.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Being a junior teacher in primary school, the salary I earn there is too little to meet the needs of the family especially when you have kids who are in school. Therefore, it has been my desire to have a side hustle that can boost my income every month. Having done my research around this area, the most potential one is motorcycle spare store and a garage. There are a number of motorcycles around here and whenever someone needs such services, he/she has to travel over 10 kilometers to Bamba Center. Having this will not only earn me an income but also will bring services closer to the people. Accordingly, I will invest all my transfer in this venture.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Afternoon is the happiest part of my day. As a lower primary teacher, we break for the day in the afternoon. This allows me to do personal stuff and meet friends up.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My firstborn daughter developed a condition that has destabilized her hormonal balance ever since she was 6 years old. At first, she was misdiagnosed, and even operated on at Kenyatta national hospital. This didn't help her, and it was only later when we discovered she was suffering from something that tempers with her hormones. It caused her to rapidly grow beyond her age and this worried doctors every time we visited the clinic. The entire progress was very costly and it was hard to meet it. At some point, we were referred to Gertrude, a pediatric hospital. Being a private hospital, it was even more expensive to seek medical attention there. The entire process cost over half a million Kenyan shillings. She is a teen now, and what troubles me a lot is the medicine that she has to use on a daily basis for the rest of her life, given the side effects and the cost of medication. I have spent most of my income on this leaving none for other developments in the family.
