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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal for this year and the years to come is to improve my house. My children have built me a home, and the only thing left to complete it is cementing the floor. I want to do this to enhance the appearance of my house and enjoy the comfort that a cemented floor brings.
Once that is done, I plan to buy some livestock, which I will care for and use to generate income. I am hoping to use the third transfer from GiveDirectly to bring this plan to life. Just the thought of achieving this fills me with happiness, knowing it will improve our family’s quality of life and bring us greater stability.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I really appreciate the unconditional cash, which has allowed me to address my most pressing need—school fees. This support has relieved a significant burden and brought me peace of mind. I have no recommendations for changes, as the program has been truly helpful exactly as it is.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving $450 from GiveDirectly, I felt happy and grateful, seeing it as a chance to address my most pressing needs. I have two children—one daughter in secondary school and a son in university. Covering their school fees has been a heavy burden, and I often rely on their older siblings for help, though they don’t have stable jobs either. So, I used $310 to pay for their school fees, which has brought me a huge relief, as I no longer feel the stress and pressure of unpaid fees.
With that settled, I used $80 to buy two beds—one for my daughter and one for myself. Previously, we only had mattresses and were sleeping on the floor, but now we sleep comfortably, and it has also improved our privacy at home. Finally, I spent the remaining amount on food to meet our immediate needs, as it’s a constant struggle to provide food, often relying on casual labor to get by.
This support from GiveDirectly has made a tremendous difference in easing my worries and improving our quality of life.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($155 USD)
access_time 3 months ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Around 4 p.m., when I arrived home from casual jobs, my kids told me that people had received money from GiveDirectly. I felt a wave of happiness, but since my phone was out of charge and had shut down, I quickly plugged it in to charge. Once it powered on, I confirmed that I had received the cash.I was very excited because at that very moment, one of my children had been sent home from school to collect fees, and another one, who is in university, had called me the day before asking for school fees. I was feeling confused and stressed, but when I saw the money, I felt relieved, knowing I could send my child back to school. The first thing I did was call my son in university to tell him that GiveDirectly money had come through, and he was very happy. The next morning, I sent my secondary school child back to school with the money and also sent some to the one in university.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am very happy to say that GiveDirectly has helped me so much. Previously, I wasn’t able to help my son with all the responsibilities, but now, with the second and third transfers I’m expecting, I will be able to support him by reducing some of these expenses. I always felt like I was burdening him with a lot of my costs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I don’t have a husband—he left me a long time ago—but I have three children and one grandchild. Fortunately, I have a son who is employed by the Baringo County Government, and he has always supported me by paying school fees and sometimes buying us food. However, when I received my first transfer, I decided to relieve my son of the burden of school fees since he also has a family to take care of and many other expenses. I paid $100 toward school fees.Additionally, I used $80 to purchase food because we sometimes lack food and have to rely on casual jobs working on other people's farms. Life wasn’t too bad before, but I did these casual jobs because there are certain things I can't ask my son for out of respect, like personal items such as underwear, so that’s why I needed to earn some money on my own.With the remaining $20, I bought two plastic chairs since I only had two and wanted to add more. I am sincerely very grateful to GiveDirectly, and may God bless you.
Enrolled
access_time 5 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Perennial food shortage is the enemy in my household, I always seek assistance from my sons and neighbors. This is at times embarrassing, GiveDirectly's cash transfer program will give me the dignity of supporting my family without any financial assistance from my sons and neighbors. I will stock enough food for the family with $100. The transfers from GiveDirectly will also enable me to settle the $400 school fees arrears for my son, Mattin Munyoki, who is studying electrical engineering at Nairobi University. I will use the remaining transfers to buy 5 goats which will be another source of family income some years to come.
What is the happiest part of your day?
A week ago my first born son Basil Lemutelia paid me a visit. It was at that time that I was struggling financially and I had no food in store for my family of five. The unthinkable happened, my son surprised me with a bag of shopping. I was excited and felt grateful.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
When I was young and energetic, I used to take up any casual job I came around. I was able to provide for my family without struggling so much. The situation now is totally opposite, my old age limits me to light casual jobs which are less paying. This explains why I am struggling now to put food on the table and provide some basic needs for my family of five. We relocated to this place which is extremely dry having been displaced by the swelling lake Baringo in the year 2010. The weather here is not favorable for crop farming, this came up with its fair share of challenges. We rely on food from the markets which are selling at exorbitant prices. This adds another burden to us.