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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($472 USD)
access_time over 4 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 currently different from how it was before because I no longer live in the ghetto. I grew up there and I did not want the same life to my children due to high levels of immorality going on within the area. I am now glad since my children will not have a negative influence as they grow up. Also, I was able to start a business that I currently ran with my husband. Due to this, I have been able to support my family with the little income that I earn from the business.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My additional goal in life is to build a house for my family so that I will not be spending on rent again. This will also enable me to develop more since I will have reduced my expenditure. I will be using the returns from my business to achieve this.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my most recent transfer to boost my business by buying more stock. I decided on this since the business had not picked up as I had used my second transfer to start it. Also, I spent some amount to pay school fees for my children who had stayed at home without going to school due to lack of school fees. On the remaining amount, I paid for our house rent and bought food to last my family for some time.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
36800 KES ($365 USD)
access_time over 5 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 currently different from how it would have been had I never received the transfer since I have been able to relocate to another place. This has made me happy since I know that my son will not be meeting with boys of unruly character anymore. This is because where I am currently living in is near the school and I am glad because I have already seen some changes in his character. Being able to raise children who are well mannered has always been my prayer and I am now certain that I will be able to achieve this.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
The additional goals for my life that I didn't have before receiving the transfer is to buy a piece of land back at home. This is because I do not want my children to continue living in Mathare because of the bad company. I have lived in Mathare since birth and I would not wish my children to experience what I passed through when I was young and that is why relocating from Mathare is now my top priority.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my most recent transfer to pay school fees for my son in high school. I decided to clear his school fees so that he would not be sent back home. This will help him have ample time for his studies unlike before where he was sent home regularly. My son is in a day school and has been having a tendency of involving himself with a group of unruly boys in the evening while on his way from school. This had impacted so much on his behavior negatively. Because of this, I decided to relocate to an estate near the school where he will not be meeting with these boys. My husband is the breadwinner in our family and his business was not doing well and it was in a verge of collapsing since we had used most of the income generated from this business to cater for our needs. Due to this, I spent the remaining amount to add some stock into his business. I am now glad because the business is in stable condition now and my husband can meet our need on time.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($199 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My goals now are to open up a retail shop again after the one we owned burned down.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own a business with my husband and I kept my child in school. I also enjoyed my Christmas. The business is doing well and we can never go to bed hungry now.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfers to pay school fees for my children, to open up a shoe business for my husband and to do some shopping for food and household goods in my house. I wash clothes for a living, while my husband depends on construction jobs to provide for our family. We were not always struggling like this, we owned a retail shop in village 2 here in Mathare until the year 2017 in December, when our shop burned down. We used to stock commodities such as sugar, cooking oil, flour etc. A fire struck the area that the shop was located and we lost everything. Since that time we have struggled a lot to make ends meet. We depend on jobs that can be hard to come-by and most times we do not even get these jobs. I gave my husband 5000 KES to begin a shoe business that is so far doing so well. We can never lack meals from this business. He buys these shoes from Gikomba market and resells them here in Mathare.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
I was at work on that day and I had left my phone in the house. I don't normally take my phone with me to work because of security reasons. On that particular day, I stayed waiting for work at the place where we usually sit but I was not lucky to get any laundry jobs the whole day. In the evening as I was going back to my house, I met my group member who asked me if I had received the transfers. I did not have my phone and so I rushed to the house to check my phone. I saw the message and I was so happy. I waited for my husband to inform him and we discussed how we would spend the transfers.
Enrolled
access_time 6 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My first priority is paying school fees. I have debt at my son's school for the previous term. He has stayed at home for a very long time. I got off to a rough start when the year started. My house, that I also use as a business premises got burnt. This made it hard for him to go back to school this January due to lack of money lack. He only went back to school again this previous term. I will be at peace when I get to clear this debt. Peace in that shool will keep him occupied to prevent him from joining gangs that will mislead him.
Secondly, I want to start a shop (Kiosk). I used to have one in Kiamutisya Village I, but that is where the fire broke. I want to open it again, but in a different place like in biashara street in Village 2, and for it to be storey building. This will give me some sense of security, and I will be able to run my shop.
Lastly, I would also want to shift to around village 2, and be able to buy more household goods. Shifting will help, especially my son will be able to stay away from gangs around and I will get him a new school,even if it will be a boarding school.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is unemployment, and lack of money. Lack of money to educate my children. Lack of money led to my daughter dropping out of school and having a baby when in form two. Since then she has not gone back to school. My son too keeps skipping school, and goes out to hustle since he also is constantly chased from school. I would like to get money and take my son to a boarding school to avoid any kind of negative influence from peers and him being exposed to police violence.
What are your greatest ambitions?
I want to own my own home. I would like to shift from the Ghetto to a place like Ruiru, where I can have a home for myself. With that I can have a land to tilt or even keep some livestock.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
I wake up in the morning,do my house chores and I go to buy water at a water point for home use. At around 9:00am I leave to go look for casual jobs in Eastleigh. Later in the afternoon, I go back home, rest while I wait for my husband to come home. I prepare supper, later watch some televison and rest.
In my free time I stay at home and read the bible, watch television and at time go out to chat with my neighbours.
