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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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Enrollment
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Transfers
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Completed
Newsfeed > Margaret's Profile
Margaret's family
Margaret
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
House construction
faceAge:
35
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($467 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?
For now, I do not have any new goals because the one that was in mind was to construct permanent stalls. This is what I had desired to have since I am an entrepreneur. I can now comfortably start up any kind of business or opt to rent out to a friend at a fee. Through the stall, I feel there is a financial breakthrough soon.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did a great job, especially on how they have been handling us all though. Before receiving the transfers were offered insightful teachings concerning how best to secure our money from any kind of theft and losses. As a result, there was no kind of robbery that was recorded. Also, I do not see any part that the organization needs to change.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent almost KES 25000 to start up a kiosk shop which I am currently running in my village. The shop is my major source of income since my spouse is jobless for now. It has been so tough raising eight children with no stable income. It is now a relief to us as a family, through the little profits I earn. Later on, I bought new clothes and shoes for my children. To add to that, I bought two goats at KES 4000 which now serve as the living assets that I will rely on. Finally, with the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuffs for my family.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 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 9 a.m and I was just about to start making breakfast when someone called me. After I hang up the call, I realised I had received a message. It was the notification that I had received the cash transfer. I was ecstatic because I was not expecting this type of good news.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before receiving this transfer, my life was filled with struggle. This was mainly because I did not have enough money to put food on the table for my six children. I watched them endure hunger pangs which sometimes made them cry because we would only have one meal a day. As a mother, I felt powerless. The KES 200 a day I earned selling refreshments on market days was just too little to sustain our needs. All this changed, however, once we received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I was able to buy foodstuff including maize flour, sugar, wheat and rice. We can now afford to have at least three meals a day. I couldn't be more grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Food insecurity has caused my family a lot of grief over the years. I sell tea and snacks on market days at the nearby shopping centre to earn a living. However, I only earn approximately KES 200 a day. This amount is not enough to cater for the needs of my family of eight. It was important, therefore, that I buy foodstuff to ensure we had enough for the household. I spent KES 1,200 on maize flour, sugar, rice and wheat. I also spent KES 52,000 on the purchase of fifteen goats. I plan to sell some of them whenever I need money, urgently.
 
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My spouse is a mason. House construction jobs involve a lot of travelling. This has always cost him a lot in terms of transport. Receiving this money is therefore an opportunity to save on transport by buying a second hand motorcycle at a cost of about 500 USD. This will also be convenient for him since he will be flexible as well as enabling him arrive home on time. In a day, he uses an average of 4 USD. Owning our own motor cycle will save us up to 50 percent of our income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day's activities revolve around the compound. I clean my compound and utensils, do some laundry among other home chores. At this time my spouse is usually at work and my children at school. In the evening we reunite and have a decent meal together. This is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Raising up my six children with very little income is what has been my biggest hardship. As a parent, it really hurts to see my children go hungry, wear worn out clothes or being sent home from school due to lack of school fees. This has been my predicaments ever since I got married. I depend on my husband who is a mason earning as little as 8 USD a day; to make matters worse, this jobs are sometimes not available. Getting to satisfy the basic needs has been an uphill task.