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 currently different from how it was four months ago?
The other difference in my life in the last four months in that I have new clothes. I have been staying with my mother as the primary earner in our house. Since I did not have a stable source of income, I was not able to get myself some of my basic needs just to ensure we have the basic needs of life with my mother. With GD transfers, I have been able to ensure we have the basic needs and spare some money which I have used in buying new clothes. I do not know how life would have been without the transfers.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, I wish to take driving classes. I would also want to know how to drive so that I can be able to look for a driving job. I have always wanted to know how to drive but I did not have the resources to go driving lessons on my own.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I did not know I could ever own any kind of livestock in my life. I have always had casual work as my main source of income. The income was not even enough to take good care of my mother and I. This is why I knew I would not have any livestock and it only remained to be a dream in my life. When I started receiving these transfers, I thought of a way to use the transfers to make my life better. The only way I considered as a good investment was only to buy livestock. I used the transfers to buy a cow which has already reproduced. The number will increase and I will have herds of cattle. When I have any financial crisis, I can be able to sell one or two so that I can raise money to handle the emergency. The cattle too are a sign of wealth.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I plan to start a retail shop business. This will help me earn an extra income to better my life. I would want to be stable financially before I get married so that I can be able to provide for my family well. I would not want to bring up a family in the struggles I was brought up in.
15th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago because before I did not have any even chicken but now I started poultry keeping where by I can sell them and get the money for my up keep.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to save the money and spending it to pay for my driving course as I am planning to take a course in driving and when I finish the course I will be able look for a job and to enable me to provide for my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that l have manage to start poultry keeping where by I can sell eggs and get the money for my daily up keep. I have also been having easy time when it come buying food, I no longer buy things in small quantities as I used do before.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months I expect to have completed my driving course and to start looking for a job any were they want a driver and to get money so that I can provide for my family.
11th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
There is not much difference between how I much live today and how I used to live four months ago but I can say that I have been able to buy a few birds that I plan to rear just within my compound and I am sure that sooner than later their population will increase significantly, thereby giving me an opportunity to sell out a portion of them and earning some cash in return.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I plan to start my small scale business where I will be running a restaurant business. Apart from that, I also I want to sell shoes by buying them in large quantity and re-selling to my customers. I think this business will generate enough cash for me going into the future which means that I can soon be self sustainable even if the cash transfers from GD are stopped.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I have been able to buy food for our family because that is what we mostly lack. Being that I do not have a stable job that I can rely on, I am mostly forced to buy food to sustain us for the whole month. For me, buying food is a very vital thing especially with the kind of life that we lead back here in the rural areas where we only do manual jobs in order to be paid some very little cash at the end of the day.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I have a plan of saving more cash so that I boost the small scale business that I believe will generate enough money for me. The savings will help me increase the size of my stock so that I do not run out of stock in order to keep my business afloat. I have an aim of continuing with this business into the future even when the transfers from GD will have been stopped sometime into the future.
7th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
The difference between my current life and the previous one before I started receiving my transfers is that I can walk into a supermarket and comfortable shop without havinfg to worry much about how to pay.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to boast my business to earn more income.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference is that I have been able to purchase fertilizer for my farm.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I will have saved enough money toward my future as I recently got married.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I am planning to re open a hotel in market center that collapsed due to poor management.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Currently I have a steady income that gives me ease in terms of feeding my family. Unlike before I had to work so hard to put food on the table.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months I anticipate to have started the hotel business and my family will be more comfortable than before.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I was able to buy fertilizer that will enable me to achieve bumper harvest.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I face my life is lack of stable employment which has forced me to do casual jobs to provide for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when I get time to rest after working the whole day and have time to listen to stories from my mother.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
Due to joblessness I am planning to spend my transfer in starting a hotel business to help in meeting my family's basic needs.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proudest of is completing my college education despite doing casual jobs to pay my school fees.