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 ($517 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?
The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving these transfers is that I have managed to clear school fees arrears for my children in primary school. This has been my biggest financial burden which I have never managed to meet in time due to low income from casual work. When I received my transfer, I had to ensure I clear the fees arrear so that my children may not be sent home again from school. I know they will perform better when they have ample time to study.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GD did the best thing no other NGO has ever done by giving cash. Other NGOs have been giving an item which has not been very impactful as cash. There is nothing GD did not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent my transfer on buying building materials which I have used in putting up a new house. I had planned to put up a new house but due to low income, I was not able to. I also used part of the transfer to buy goats as an investment for my family. I can later sell the goats to raise money for other needs. The rest I used on buying food for my family so that we may not lack what to eat in a new house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($529 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Having a dairy cow has made my life to be totally different in many ways. I have been yearning for a long period of time to have one but due to the low income, I was getting from the casual jobs I could not afford it since the dairy cows were costly. The coming of GiveDirectly in my village has made everything to be possible in my life. First I will be getting milk for both my family consumption while I sell the surplus to my neighbors. This will really boost my daily income because milk is in high demand in the village market since there are few people possessing dairy cows. Secondly, my farm will be productive because I will be getting manure from the cow and apply them to my farm. Initially, I used to buy fertilizers from the agro vets which were expensive and sometimes I could not afford it. Having this dairy cow will be a great relief to me.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 3:00 am when I heard my phone ringing. I was even shocked because it was unusual for my phone to ring at such an hour. I quickly checked the content of the message where I realized that I had received a sum of KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. They had sent my first transfer as they had promised during the enrollment. I felt very happy.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my transfer to buy some building materials such as iron sheets, a metal door, nails, and two windows. This was purposely for the construction of my new house. My previous one was small and in a very poor condition. I then bought a dairy cow with the remaining amount of money. It had always been my desire for a long time to have a cow of my own keep it but due to my low income, I could not buy it. I am assured of getting some various benefits through the cow such as getting milk and manure as well, Previously I used to buy milk from my neighbors which were very costly for me.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
The joy of every married woman is to have a baby. However, this dream is not for everyone and I am among the few who have not been able to achieve it. The past four years of my marriage have not been smooth because of my inability to conceive. I have visited various doctors but I have not received quality medication because insufficient funds. My last visit was Aghakan hospital where I was supposed to raise 60,000 shillings but it I have not been able to do so. This transfer has come to save me the agony of childlessness as I will use part of it to seek medical care. I can already feel a baby bouncing in my stomach because I believe no situation is permanent. Besides, I will enroll back to my dressmaking course which I had started earlier but I stopped due to lack of college fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband is always busy during the day that we rarely get time to talk. He only calls me in the evening after work. This makes me happy because he encourages and assures me of his fully support despite our problem.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Childlessness is the biggest hardship that has taken my life to a very complicated direction. My husband's relatives are saying ill things about me. Some allege that I did multiple abortions and I am now being punished for my evil deeds. The most hurtful thing is that my husband joined them at some point and he could insult me as he wished. He almost took another woman to replace me because I am 'barren'. This situation pushed me to visit all famous herbalists who gave me all types of concoctions but it never worked. I spent all my finances looking for solutions but none was able to solve it. The herbs that I drank have negatively impacted my digestive system thus worsening the problem.
