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 ($492 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?
Living in a decent house with proper bedding, pay off all the fees for my kids is what makes my life different than it would be If I never received my transfer.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Give directly does well for sending cash to the poor households in society. I was stranded about educating my children. After receiving the transfer I was able to educate my children and also building another house for the family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have desired to own a decent house for my family but due to lack of finances I have not been able to fulfil my desire. After receiving the transfer I used $300 to build a two-roomed house for the family. Previously, my house was small, with an open roof and the rain was pouring on us during the rains season. In addition, I bought a bed and mattress this is because I use to sleep on a mat which was not comfortable. Furthermore, I restarted the goat rearing business which I was doing it previously but due to school fees problems I was forced to sell all the livestock and educate my children. The remaining amount assisted me to purchase enough food for the family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was from my daily hustle at exactly 3 in the afternoon when my mobile phone started ringing continuously. Thus was so unusual and I was so curious to know who it could be. On checking, I confirmed that it was the long awaited Mpesa message from GD. I was overwhelmed with joy and shared the good news with the rest of my family members.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having cleared school fees for my children has really brought the biggest difference in my daily life. Before the coming of GiveDirectly, my children used to sent home every now and then to collect school fees. But since I used to depend on temporary jobs they could sometimes stay home for several weeks and this prompted them to miss important exams and this really affected their academic performance. Two of my children had even opted to drop out of school since they were hopeless and really frustrated me. After I received the money my first priority was to pay their school fees so that they can continue with their studies like the rest. I am now certain that they will have a bright future even though they will not be able to inherit any assets from me. ,
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer in paying school fees for my children who are secondary and primary schools. They have been staying home for weeks and I had no idea how I would acquire the required money to clear the arrears. In addition to that, I bought some building materials which include building poles, iron sheets, timber, and nails. This was for the construction of a new house since the previous one was a small hut with a grass-thatched leaky roof. Whenever it could rain, we used to seek shelter from ighbors. Also, I bought a goat and it will serve as the living asset that I will depend on just in case of any emergency. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My husband got married to a second wife when we had the plans of constructing a new house for the family. This disrupted our plans and I am currently living in a miserable house that is not worthy for me since it's a grass-thatched one and it leaks when it rains. My greatest desire once I receive this money is to fulfill my long time dream of sleeping in an iron-roofed house and to achieve this, I intend to spend utmost 350 dollars to construct the house. On the other hand, I also plan to buy 3 indigenous dairy cows that will act as my long term project, to sort out my future needs. This will give my life a new version of standard and eventually a better living.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I consider evening as the happiest part of my day because it is at this moment when I find myself having more time to relax from the tiresome day's activities. Unlike in the morning and afternoon hours where I am ever engaged in household chores and charcoal burning respectively.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I depend most on charcoal burning as my source of income but its income is hardly enough to cater to my family's basic needs plus the fact that, it's a very tiresome job. This means to continuously do it despite its low income and in some cases, borrowing food from my relatives becomes the option. Therefore, I consider the lack of a stable source of income as the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.
