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 ($490 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Life could have been very bad because, I could have now developed pneumonia since the house I was in was too cold during the night.
I can say am now happy because I even sleep on a bed that I could have not seen in my entire life because of lack of money to buy the bed.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Give directly do well by giving the right person money without passing the money through another person.
This makes communication easy between the receiver and the giver more about the money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my money on building a new house.
The house I had was in a bad condition since it had no door. This made me to prioritize building a house good house.
I also bought a goat to keep though not for commercial but then to some point, I will sell if they become many and the money will assist me.
I also managed to buy a bed for myself and children which I never had.
I have a small business for selling porridge and mandazi which I earn $100 a day. This assist me to meet my family's basic needs.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($517 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was wakened up by a loud vibration from my mobile phone and this was an indication that there was a new message. I was a bit nervous and wondered who would send e a message at such an hour. I then decided to check only to realize it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy since I knew the dream of owning a better house shall come true
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
For all those years I have been living in a small hut with a leaky roof. Whenever it rained it made me sleeping very uncomfortable because pf the holes which were all over the walls and sometimes being attacked by some insects. In addition, my children were often exploded to diseases becasue of the moisture and cold. This was so hectic, apart from that my children who are still students could not do their school assignments becasue the house was not spacious. Therefore the biggest difference in my daily life is the fact that I am now living comfortable in a semi-permanent spacious house which is well plastered. I no longer have to worry about the rains and my children can their assignments without ant interferences.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some building materials such as iron sheets, building poles. timber and nails. This was for the purpose of constructing a new house since the previous one was a small hut which was in bad condition. In addition to that, I paid the labourer KES 15000 as his labour charge. With the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs, decent clothes and some other household items that I was lacking.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Having a better shelter has been one of my biggest desire. At the moment, I share a tiny singled-room house with my children. Accordingly, I will use the first transfers to construct a more spacious and comfortable one. This will grant us the much-needed privacy and peace of mind since we have suffered ridicule from neighbors for far too long. In addition, I will invest in goat rearing business. This will serve as a long term investment plan for my children's future educational needs. I also intend to put up a small hotel within the village as an income-generating activity. This will assist in meeting household needs like food and clothing. And that is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day --this is the time when I get a chance to rest after undertaking day's activities. I also take time to bond with my children, and that makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Unable to adequately provide for the family has been the biggest hardship in life. This is necessitated by lack of better employment opportunities -as such, I solely depend on my husband who is a casual laborer in Mombasa. And because his job is not reliable, his earning is hardly enough to sustain the family. Consequently, our children lack basic needs like shelter, clothing, food, and education