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 ($442 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?
My new goal is to be able to take care of the assets that I was able to accumulate after receiving my first and second transfers. I am more concerned and focused on starting a shop keeping business since my home is located along a road. This business will require up to KES 70000 to start and I will be able to get this money from dairy proceeds and other small savings that I make from farming practices that I do engage in here.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did very well in giving us the freedom to choose how to spend the money. This provided us with an opportunity to choose for ourselves how to spend the money and it contributed to different positive results for different groups of people. The level of satisfaction was equal for everyone and we are so grateful for this.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 36000 to buy a dairy cow and used the remaining amount to buy pieces of iron sheets for building a kitchen. Dairy keeping is one of the main economic activities and its hard to get money that would be enough to buy a dairy cow. I normally rely on small scale business of being a middleman in businesses at market centres to make some income. Right now I am happy that I have my own dairy cow that I milk up to 6 litres pee day. This has been life changing to me since it not only increases the amount of income for me but has also made me feel very relaxed. I no longer go out for long hours in search of odd jobs to make an income for my family to be sustained but I stay at home to be able to take care of my own libestock.
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?
It was a few minutes to seven while going about my daily motorcycle work when I heard my phone ring. On checking, I confirmed to have received KES55000 from GiveDirectly and immediately I withdrew the money because I was in town.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the transfers is owning a dairy cow which is now producing two litres of milk a day hence reduced household expenditure. Nowadays, I save money from my motorcycle taxi and have started saving in merry go round monthly contribution.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES35000 on a dairy cow as a source of milk to feed my. This because I used to spent KES150 per day on milk for the past two years which was costly given the unreliable casual labor. I spent KES10000 on three sofa sets seats because the previous ones were locally made benches. I spent KES5000 on repairing my motorcycle taxi and the rest on food and clothing.I normally rely on motorcycle taxi to feed my family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been in the motorcycle business for the past 5 months. On average, I usually get a profit of between KES 200 to KES 300. This amount is hardly able to sustain my needs and sometimes I even make a loss. To ensure a regular flow of income, I intend to use KES 40000 to buy a dairy cattle that is ready for milking. Through a proper feeding program, I envisage getting a surplus of 5 litres of milk daily corresponding to a profit of KES 250 daily. For the remaining amount of the transfer, I plan to build a kitchen and buy some household furniture.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I belong to a certain merry-go-round group in our village. Five months ago I was lucky to be chosen as the next beneficiary and afterwards, I received a total of KES 70000. I used this amount to buy myself a motorbike for which I am using to transport people and luggage to various destinations within my county.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being in a motorcycle business, I usually get an average profit of KES 200 daily. Incorporating my daily expense into this amount leaves me with very little to save. As a result, accumulating a sizeable amount of money to buy an asset like livestock is very hard. This therefore means that for as long as I do not have an alternative source of income, I will always be working from hand to mouth.
