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.
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3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used part of my most recent transfer to buy household items such as a television set and a sound system. I then sent my mother and my sister back at home some of it for their own personal use then saved the remaining amount which I plan to later use to pay my brother's secondary school fees.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I have always wanted to buy my mother proper seats because she does not have decent ones in her house back at home but could not due to little income. Now that I have a stable business with a stable, I plan to make as much savings as I can to be able to buy her the seats within the next six months.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before I received money from GD, I mostly depended on casula jobs that were not quite regular and did not pay much either. This made it impossible for me to buy the household items that I was finally able to buy using GD transfers. I was also able to start my own business which I know I would never raise enough capital to start without the help of GD.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
36800 KES ($367 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my second transfer, the first priority was to send my mother some amount for upkeep. She had called me a couple of weeks back requesting me to send her some money claiming that it was a dry season and the farm was not doing well. My GD issued phone was stolen so I took some amount and bought a new phone. Now I can access touch Doo an app that helps me manage my finances. The remaining amount I restocked the beauty shop that I had started with the previous transfer and also bought my younger brother set books that he was needed to have in school.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My plan is to finish paying school fees for my brother. I want him to have the best I never had. This will give him a better shot in the society and the employment industry. I am looking forward to clearing this year's fees to minimize fees breaks and allow him to have minimal disruptions in his studies. I am also planning to expand my beauty shop this way, I will have more items to sell meaning increased income. With the income earned, I can support my mother back at home and also meet my personal needs.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The biggest difference is that I now own a business that generates income and as the breadwinner in my family, I no longer strain to make ends meet. Previously before the transfers, I used to work for an Asian next to Mathare Valley. I was grateful for the opportunity but it was tiresome and time-consuming. I could work for extra hours but the earning were never enough to cater for all my needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($200 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
I was very broke and did not know how my December holidays would go. Then I woke up to a mpesa message indicating receipt of money from GD. I was very happy and felt like God had remembered me in my time of need.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving my first transfer, I sent mum some money for the festive seasons. I restocked my business to help me generate more income from sales. This will help me meet my needs. Part of the money I gave brother to pay his first term fees. I paid my rent three months upfront for security purpose as I waited for my business to boom. The remaining amount I bought a two sitter sofa set and some household shopping.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I no longer have to wake up so early to hustle for casual work. Now that I have been able to stock my business I currently work in my comfort zone. This allows me to watch over my daughter and it is also less tiresome.
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My goal is to expand my shop and add more products. This way, I will have an increased income and will be a better position of providing for my daughter.
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
I wake up early in the morning take tea then I go to gikomba market to buy children's clothes. I then come back home at around 9:00am clean my house take a shower then go round the community door to door mostly in friends houses. During lunch time I take my lunch at a favorite hotel for 30 minutes then resume to work until 7:00pm then go back home and prepare for supper eat then sleep. On my free time I watch movies listen to music.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambitions is to become a successful business woman and able to support my family who depend mostly on me.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is unemployment because of few jobs opportunities in our country. Secondly daily sustenance needs is also a big challenge to many people especially in the slum and lastly family because every family in mathare have a lot of challenges especially with housing rent and school fees.
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My plan is to open a new business where I will rent a shop because I have been going door to door selling children's clothing. I want to expand my business. I also want to support my brother who is in school by paying school fees for one term. lastly I want to buy house hold goods because I don't have enough.