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?
After I received the recent funds from GiveDirectly I decided that I should purchase some clothes for myself since I barely had enough and the ones that I had were mostly old, torn and worn out. I could barely even leave home since I had nothing presentable to wear. Soon after confirming that I had received the money I used KES 1,100 in buying something to wear. I was left with a balance of KES 2,900 where I used KES 1,000 to buy two hens since I wanted to venture in poultry farming because it was manageable and I could benefit both domestically and commercially in the future. After that I took remaining balance and used KES 500 to buy maize flour, KES 200 to buy drinking water since it was scarce and KES 200 to buy millet flour for porridge.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 800 of my recent transfer on buying two chickens that I am currently rearing in my homestead. I decided to buy them because they are easy to handle and reproduce fast. I am expecting them to increase in number and sell the offsprings in case of a financial need. I have also been saving money in our savings group thus I saved KES 300 after receiving the transfer. I am also grateful to GiveDirectly because I was also able to do a shopping on new clothes and foodstuffs on the remaining transfer. It has been a long time since buying new clothes because I could not afford on my own.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($27 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well in terms of helping the needy in society. I can tell you for sure that there are many people whose dreams have died because they did not get that little push they wanted. I am happy that my son’s dream of wanting to study hard and become successful later in life is going to be achieved through the help I am getting from GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I currently do not have a job. I have always heavily depended on my farm for my everyday survival. The rain is no longer there. This has made my life very difficult. I have lost my source of living and I am currently surviving on manual jobs. Upon receiving the transfer my priority was to buy food that will last my family for the next several weeks. I spent KSH 1650 in purchasing the food. In addition to the food I bought some clothes for myself. Life has been tough to a point where I had not been able to buy any clothes for myself. I also spent KSH 250 in buying water for my own use in the house. The drought has made it difficult for us to find water. We now have to buy water from the vendors at very high prices.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was inside my house at around 9 am in morning. My grandson who had my phone at that time told me that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I was very happy to hear that message. I started ululating since I did not expect to receive any amount of money on that day.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
It has made a big difference in my life. Now have food for me. To be honest I am adding weight because of the food. I am not stressed anymore like I used to before receiving the cash. I also have new clothes now. I can now change into other clothes and throw away the worn-out clothes. I am very grateful for the help so much.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am old at the moment. I depend mostly on my sons and grandchildren for financial support. Since I depend on other people for my survival, I have been struggling so much. The help from sons and grandchildren is not enough since they have families of their own to take care of. So when I received the cash from GiveDirectly I spent KSH 650 on buying food and spent KSH 550 on buying new clothing for myself. The clothes that I had worn out and I had only three pairs of them which was a real challenge for me.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
When I think about receiving this money, I see myself in a comfortable house, where I do not have to worry every time it rains wondering which part of the house will fall apart. I will use the money to reconstruct the house and the rest to buy food.
I am a widow, of old age and not working. I rely solely on support from my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The day one of my children bought me clothes and a bag of sugar was full of joy. I cannot remember the last time anyone gave me such a gift.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My challenge is to be able to afford food and clothing. Most of my clothes are worn out and old. I was blessed with nine children, one of them passed on when she was fifteen years old. The eight are all grown up in their own homes. I see that they also struggle to make ends meet. I appreciate what they can share with me and I cannot demand more..
