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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the last six months that I have been receiving the transfers, I have been dividing the money into paying school fees, buying livestock and food. I wanted to help my husband with the burden of family responsibilities and buy as much livestock as I can as it's a good investment plan. My husband who is a local mason had a very huge responsibility of providing for our eight children and educating them. When two of our older children joined high school, it became a struggle to provide basic needs and I couldn't help it since I was a housewife. The program has so far relieved us a lot and we can not thank you enough. I'm looking forward to buy more livestock which I will sell in future and pay school fees for my children.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
attach_money
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
So far I haven't seen any area of improvement but giving people unconditional cash transfers is something which is really comentable.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Imagine going the whole day without food for a number of days in a week! That was the situation here before I started receiving the transfers. Prolonged drought had made made food prices to hike making it impossible to afford two meals a day. Most are the days when we were lucky to have one meal a day, the other days we would go without food . When I received the transfers, I thought of buying enough food to take us through the month. Since I'm a casual labourer, this also gave me a chance to save for school fees for my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had actually gone to fetch water that morning because we have water scarcity in our village and it takes me around two hours to the destination where the water is and that is when a friend informed that they had received their transfers and I thought I had not until she checked my phone. I was so happy because the money finally came in and at that time my child was even home back from school due to pending arrears.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest change at the moment would be the fact that I managed to pay school fees for my child and also managed to buy food because that was also troubling and I am really glad that we did not have to go to bed hungry like we had some time back.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After I receiced the money I decide to pay fees for one of my child who was in secondary school because he kept being sent home due to pending arrears so when I got the money I paid KES 400 at his school. Then decided to buy chicken and I bought one because I wanted to gradually start poulrty farming which would benefit me both commercially and domestically in the future. As for he rest of the money I bought four packets of maize flour at KES 400 because the house had run out of food.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Tears fall down my cheeks whenever I think of the poor state of my house. The rooftop is half covered by iron-sheets. I am heavily rained on when it rains. I have no privacy, for the kitchen during the day serves as bedroom at night. With the GiveDirectly transfers, I plan to save enough to enable me realize a decent house for myself.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Providing for my 8 children has never been that easy. Seeing them healthy all through makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have a family size of 8 children. My husband works as a mason, he remits 1000 KES per week for our upkeep. This is not sustainable bearing that I have to pay for fees for my children. Last year, I even failed to take my child to secondary school, something that led to her early pregnancy. It pains me to see that as a mother, I cannot offer the best to my child.
