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 ($463 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
We now have a new goal of buying a piece of land because we have a small one. Together with my husband, we have joined a merry go around and as soon as we get our share my husband will top up with his savings towards purchasing the land.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Givedirectly did well by sending officers to enlighten us about the company and the objective of the project. The officers were very kind and patient during our meeting. I do not see what Givedirectly doesn't do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was pursuing a Diploma in Agricultural engineering but because of a lack of school fees, I had paused. With KES 22,000 I spent in clearing arrears and paid for one semester ahead. I am so happy since am back to school and catching up with all that I missed. I also spent KES 12,000 in paying for the rental house I stay near my college for three months to avoid defaulting. I gave KES 5,000 to my husband which he used to pay for our merry-go-round which is a great investment as well. With the remaining amount, we did foodstuff shopping.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was very happy and thankful to God when I received a message that confirmed the receipt of the first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was asleep the moment I received the message, and on getting the notification alert, I could not resist checking it up and to my surprise, it was the message I had been waiting for. Even though I was not expecting it that day, I was still excited and had to wake my husband up to show him and we both celebrated and promised ourselves to align our plans before collecting the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the presence of a dairy cow that has since provided us with sufficient milk for our home use. It has been a great struggle buying milk for my family but I am now glad that the cow is in and the huge spending every month has stopped.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After buying milk for such a long time, I was finally glad to receive the first transfer that I spent KES 32000 in buying a dairy cow. This has changed a lot in my household in that we had been enjoying enough supply of milk both for our home use and also for sale. I also complete the construction of our new house that took approximately KES 7000 in fixing floors and windows. With the past struggles to provide for the family, I had been borrowing a lot from the immediate shops and the neighbors who had been supporting me. At the moment I received the money, the debt I already had was at KES 15000 that I had to pay in full. I also used the remaining amount on buying household food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means plenty of milk for my family and a source of income. I have never owned a Dairy cow since I was married in 2017. Every year I have been buying milk from neighbors or the cooling plant. A times someone promises to give you milk but by the time you are going for it, the story has changed. My husband works as a security guard and the money he gets does not sustain the family hence it has not been possible to buy a dairy cow. I plan to buy a dairy cow worth KES 40,000, it will produce around 8 liters of milk a day, I will get enough milk for family consumption and surplus to sell. I will also use KES 30, 000 to build a house, and the remaining will go to school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I managed to get electricity from the government for the last mile connectivity, A primary school called Kurmana primary school was constructed also in the last 6 months, these are the reasons why I have had joy in the last six months. I was using a kerosene lamp to light my house, the smell of paraffin and prices had gone so high that had resulted in using firewood and a source of light. God has been great I now press a button and everywhere is bright in the house.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is the challenge we are currently facing. We have not been able to produce maize for consumption for the last 5 years because of maize disease in the area. We, therefore buy maize yearly and it's very expensive. A bag of 90kgs goes for around KES 4500 and sometimes we are unable to afford it. This makes us resort to cooking sweet potatoes and vegetables for survival. As a parent, this has been affecting me so much.
