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 do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have a stable business in the next six months. Having a business will enable me to have an additional source of income. The little money I get from my shop business I will use to expand it and part of it I'll use on plastering my house. I want to thank Give Directly for this kind of economic empowerment.
I expect to live a better life, for example, I want to make sure that I plaster my house and paint it so that one day I will give testimony to my grandchildren, that it is because of Gively Directly that I owned such a house.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I built a house. I have been longing to have a better and more spacious house because I have children who need privacy too. Immediately I started receiving money from Give Directly I started saving in our merry go round group to enable me to buy the building materials. This has been the biggest task because I don't have a reliable source of income. When this Give Directly gave me the means to finish this task I felt relieved and happy. To me, this is the biggest difference in my life.
I was staying in a one-roomed house, the roof was also leaking because it was built a long time ago.
I want to thank Give Directly for enabling me to achieve my dream of building my dream house.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to revive my small shop business, initially, I was running it but due to lack of funds, it collapsed. I had to use what I had in the shop to take my child to school because I had no any option to get money to pay her fees.
I'm happy in the next four months I would be in a position to restock the business with the little capital I had started saving in our merry go, round group.
Hopefully, it will pick up immediately because there is no shop near our village, the shopping center near is a bit far and you have to walk a bit long distance to be there.
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
At the end of the six months, I shall have saved enough money and bought enough building materials like sand and cement. I will have plastered my house and shall be living in a very beautiful house that will reflect my status in society.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is the fact that I have managed to save the transfers towards buying the building materials that I plan to use in plastering my house. I have only dreamt of plastering the house but could not as my income was so little it could only cater to buying daily food for the family. I cannot Thank GiveDirectly enough fo making my dream come true.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have any new goal as I still have to save towards buying the building materials to plaster the house.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, I am able to save money from my other engagements to invest in meaningful projects. By saving these transfers, my family needs do not have to compete with my little income. The income is now dedicated to buying enough food for my family, pay school fees for my children and also invest in other important things. The transfers have ensured enough flow of income in the household without any shortages.
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will have completed constructing my house. I will no longer worry about how to repair my house or worry about the leaking roof during the rainy season. We will now sleep peacefully. The completion of this house will allow me to focus on other goals. I plan to give my children a quality education. I will have to come up with a strategy to ensure that I achieve all these my goals.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is that I have managed to save money. I have been so disciplined on my saving goals which played a big role in building a new house. Previously, I could not manage because I earned very little which could be spent on food and other basic needs. I am glad that GiveDirectly has enabled me to build a decent house. The day I got into my new house is the day that the other one collapsed. I can not imagine what could have happened if I had not built the new house, especially during this rainy season.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to cement my house. I had built it using the previous transfer and I am just hoping to complete it very soon. I am very grateful for the milestones Givedirectly has brought me. At least I can even talk of buying cement, this was unheard of before. It was like a dream that would never come true any time soon.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was before in that, nowadays I am ambitious and more focused in life. I have goals and dreams that I believe are achievable. I have managed to save and accomplished some of my goals. Recently, I built a decent spacious house using the transfers. Although I have not finished building it but it is far much better than my old house. Initially, I could barely save anything because I used to earn very little from the casual jobs that we normally do in the village. I could spend every cent that I got to cater for my daily needs. I majorly focused on providing food and school fees. I could be left with nothing to save after doing all these
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I have joined a savings group where I expect to save until I can be able to buy a pig for rearing for financial security for my family. I have already invested in buying wire mesh to build a poultry farm as I plan to rear and sell later. I can say I do not beg anymore from relatives in order to live.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I do have confidence in these transfers because even if my salary delays, I still get money for my daily use as it comes on time. I have managed to save these transfers to use in buying building materials i.e. iron sheets and nails which I used to build a new house. In fact, my previous house was in a very bad state, it collapsed the moment we started putting a structure for our new house. The problrm of living in a delapidated house is over. This gives me joy.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I intend to save more of these transfers to use it in paying school fees for my child and keep maintaining him in the private school he is attending. The private school offers better quality education as compared to others.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, I have built a new house through saving this transfers little by little. I had a house which was in a destitute state and it had started leaning on one side, so the moment I started building my new house, it collapsed! If it were not for these transfers I receive from Give directly, I can not start to fathom where I would have lived after this incident. I have also managed to enrol my children in better performing private schools and can afford to pay the school fees in or on time.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2735 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
Apart from earlier goals, I would want to boost my business and I go back to school.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have enough water to serve my family well and I now feel comfortable with my new door since my life was in danger before I got it.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I would like to boost my poultry business to boost our income.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I received this transfer, I have been able to store water and we don't struggle for water as before. I have stored enough to help my family for the dry season and will help us avoid waterborne diseases.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life would be having a family without a house. We stayed in pathetic and deplorable settlements with my children and husband. At some point, my first born lost his life from where we were lent a house when he dropped in an open toilet pit. We kept on shifting from one lent house to the other and it was really stressful.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I teach pupils mornings lessons. At that time, pupils are very jovial and active during lessons. I feel motivated and inspired to teach at that time.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I plan to spend my transfer to construct a new house. I also plan to start a small business with the money. I currently stay in a small house with a leaking roof. My family size has grown and we need a more spacious and decent house to stay in. The second year's transfer I will spent in starting a poultry farming business from which I will sell eggs and earn a living.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proudest of would be successfully completing my ECD certificate course. From my little wages, I managed to pay my school fees, meet family needs and now have attained my certificate in Early Childhood Education. I am glad that one time I will secure formal employment of my profession.