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.
Follow to
be updated on Johnstone's next check-in.
24th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, I plan to save more cash towards my children's school fees because I want the best for them. I was never educated that much because my parents did not see it as a priority. But I want my children to receive the best and have a better experience than the one I had.
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 had ease when it comes to paying school fees for my children. Before, I used to depend on my business that its total revenue was not enough to settle our daily expenditure and raise school fees. So I was constantly late with the school fees and on some occasions, my children had to be sent home. This is not the case anymore because GD's unconditional transfer has bridged the gap.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I want to expand my motorcycle repair business. This way I will increase the revenue margins and with the money received I can improve the living standards of my family besides meeting the daily expenditure. By expanding I will also create employment.
20th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal is to expand my mechanic business by buying motorcycle spare parts. This will improve the number of jobs that I get from my clients in repairing motorcycles I am at this improvement in order to increase income from the service I provide.
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 giving my child a good education because I used the transfers to keep her in school. The transfers have helped me to make sure my child in her last year of primary education has gone smoothly. She is going to sit for the exams having had sufficient time in school because school fees were paid on time and in full. This is not like the other years when she could stay at home waiting for me to pay. I am so happy and hoping for her to post very good results.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to have expanded my work in motorcycle repairing. I will have stocked some spare parts and employed one mechanic to help me run the service. All these changes will happen when I manage to utilize the transfers well. I expect to have increased my customer base and gain more income from the increase in work volumes that I will be handling.
16th 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 in that my business is doing well and I no longer do other casual jobs in the village to support me in paying the school fees. My children are also not being sent home to collect school fees
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goals for the next four months is to devote half of my time in horticulture farming and employ someone to help me at the shop. This farming project will earn me an income to meet other basic needs 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 in the last four months preceding the current transfer is that I have increased stock to my repair shop. I do repair motorcycles at the market center near my home. Currently, the business has expanded and doing well. I earn a daily income through this and I'm able to meet daily household needs for my family and pay school fees for my children in school. My children are no longer sent home to collect school fees and their performance have improved. Before they could spend much time at home because I was not in a position to pay school fees for all of them at the same time. I have also started horticulture farming but on a small scale. This also has reduced the cost of buying food. I'm so happy for the support. It has eased my work at home.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that I will have to employ at least two people in the shop and devote all my time on farming. I will be selling the surplus farm produce at the nearby market to earn an additional income
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
I renovated my house I have expanded, I have built a new house, I had a small house before.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new life goal in the next four months is to hire a mechanic to assist in my garage. I find it growing much more hence I plan to keep the existing client as well as the new one. This will earn me more profits for family basic needs, give my better education to my children by taking them to a better institution and meet other financial needs.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
garage, I bough the required, sapre parts hence improve my income. I used it on my household daily basic needs.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect to have a happier life since I will have expanded my business. I expect to be earning more profits which translates to better access to household needs and more so give my children better education through taking them to better institutions.
5th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different because these transfers have reduced the strain of getting money.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I have employed a new person to help me in my shoe repair business and in a few months time I see myself as a manager of my business.
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 these transfers have enabled me to increase shoe repair materials and spare parts hence business has expanded.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I am planning to hire a piece of land and venture into maize,potatoes,tomatoes and vegetables which will be a great source of income to my family.
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?
My goal is to buy more stock for my business, this has come after I got the transfer and realize a good profit which I save to buy more stock.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Currently I have I am able to save some cash which I would have rather spent to buy repair materials for my business. This has enable me get a huge profit and now saving to expand my business.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
Now I operate alone both business that is motor cycle repair shop as well am a shoe repairer. I intend to employee another person most like a young fellow so that I can train and be able to employee him to earn a living from it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I spent part of my transfer to buy spare parts for my business. Now am able to save the money that I would have rather spent on spare parts and repair materials.
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship in life is on August 2017 when I lost my grandmother who was an inspiration and support system to the entire family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is morning hours when as a family we unite as we take breakfast and children leave to school ,while my wife remains at home to carry out house chore and i go to my mechanics workshop to do my mechanics business.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
Mechanic
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My greatest achievement is when I starter my mechanics business, where I repair broken motorcycles. I'm proud of this because I know at the end of the day I can manage to buy food to my family.