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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Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($155 USD)
access_time 1 month ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home one afternoon, relaxing, when my phone beeped with a message. Since I can't read, I called my son to check it for me. When he read it, he said it was the GiveDirectly transfer, and I felt so happy! My son and I immediately started talking about what to do with the money and decided we would buy sheep. It was such a good moment, knowing this support had come through.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference since receiving the cash from GiveDirectly is the sheep I bought. I chose to invest in livestock because I knew it would help me long term. One of the sheep has already started producing milk, and it gives me half a litre every day. It’s just enough for me since I live alone, so I no longer have to buy milk like I used to before, which has cut down on my expenses. Before this, I was constantly buying milk from the shops, and with prices going up, it felt like a burden. Now, I have a reliable source right at home. It’s a small change, but it has made a big difference.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used the cash transfer to buy three goats, each costing $60. Goats are easier to manage, and I saw them as a good investment. At the time, sheep were quite expensive, but I decided to buy mature ones because they would give me a quicker return. I already had two sheep, and I added three more to make a total of five. I planned to milk them once they gave birth since I had been spending too much on buying milk from the market. Cows seemed like an obvious option for milk, but they’re costly to maintain, and I didn’t want to take on that burden. Sheep, on the other hand, are easier to feed and manage, especially in our area. I hoped that having more sheep would reduce our dependence on store-bought milk and help us cut down on daily expenses. I’ve always wanted a more sustainable way to meet my family’s needs, and this seemed like a practical solution. Now, one of the sheep has started giving milk, and it’s already making a difference.
Enrolled
access_time 5 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
To address the reliance of support from relatives and well-wishers for food, I will allocate the initial $154 towards purchasing food and acquiring 2 sheep. These sheep will serve as a source of income through the sale of their offspring in future.
Additionally, I plan to utilize $346 to construct a new room to replace the house damaged by the floods. This will significantly improve comfort for my family.
Finally, the remaining $346 will be allocated to support paying school fees for my orphaned secondary school granddaughter, ensuring she can continue her education uninterrupted.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the midnight when floods caught us off guard, the disbelief of being rescued from my house brought immense stress, uncertain of what would follow. The support from Kenya Red Cross and the government was heartening, providing essential food and non-food items. Returning home afterward filled me with immense joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
As an elderly person unable to work, I rely on relatives for food and sometimes go without due to financial constraints. I face difficulties paying school fees for my orphaned granddaughter, whom I care for. The recent floods destroyed one of our houses, leaving us with insufficient space in our remaining room for my family of 3. I lack the funds to build another house.
