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 ($487 USD)
access_time over 3 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 different than how it would have been if I never received the transfer in that, I was able to build a shop. I depend on small businesses and small farming at home. The amount of money that I was getting through this was so small and could not enable me to buy building materials. I used to rent a shop. This was so expensive because I was not getting many profits. When I received the second transfer I bought the building materials and build my shop. I no longer pay rent and this makes me save the money that I could have used on rent for other purposes. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards. I get good profits and provide for my family without failure.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving them money to buy dairy cows and to build a better house. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent half of the transfer on building a shop. This will enable me to cut the cost of paying rent on the shop that I have rented. I will be in a position to save some money for other purposes. I also paid school fees for my children. My children will no longer be sent home to collect the school fees. I bought clothes and food for the family. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($510 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I became so happy the moment I received my transfer as this money gave me hope that I would be able to start a business soon than I expected.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my children nowadays dress smartly than before. This is because we were able to buy them some new clothes using the transfers. Also, whenever the wear their old clothes, they always seem smart as we now have wash them regularly. Due to this, they're no longer mocked by their friends due to the way they dress or because they're wearing dirty clothes.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfers, I spent around 20000 to buy some timber to use in building a shop. We are planning to use our second transfer to open a shop where we will be selling all household provisions and we thought it wise to build our own room instead of renting it. Also, I bought a heifer worth KES 12000 as a way of investing this money. When it reproduces, I will be able to sale milk to my neighbors and use the income to support my children's education. Using the remaining amount, I bought some clothes, food and other household necessities for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am fortunate enough to have a piece of land that extends to the main road that is quite busy. I have always had a plan to start a business premise besides the road but I have not been able to realize this due to lack of capital. My dream of owning a shop there has been awakened after realizing that I could be a potential recipient. As a result, I intend to use approximately 80,000 shillings to construct and stock the shop. I project that I could be receiving a return of 400 shillings daily as profits from the sales in the shop.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am a housewife and I spend most of my day doing household chores while at the same time looking after my three year old son. The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I wake up an find all the family members looking healthy. I usually give thanks to the Lord for taking good care of us throughout the night.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband owns a motorbike that he uses for taxi and we depend on him to cater for our needs. The daily returns he gets on average from this business is 250 shillings. Catering for the needs of the family right from the basic needs to education is hardly enough to sustain them using the above figure. As a result, we are forced to sell part of the animals we posses like goats to cater for their education bearing in mind two of my kids are studying in a nearby academy. Our inability to cater for all the needs of our family without selling our limited assets is the biggest hardship I have ever experienced.
