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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($436 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Poultry farming is the cheapest business to invest in. It requires little capital and its feeds are not expensive. Also, its products are in high demand and have a ready market. I am determined to venture into this business and earn a leaving for my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly's enrollment was transparent as every household in the village was visited. Everyone was allowed to speak for themselves. However, adding more transfers will help us to jumpstart businesses or even investments. This is because the transfer came when people had many problems.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Most of our family income was used to pay school fees and this made our house stall for about a year. This second transfer from GiveDirectly was a sign of relief to us. We budgeted KES 36000 to complete our new home. We were also struggling with school fee arrears of KES 9000 which we cleared when we received our second transfer.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($478 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 am when I went and got my phone from our bedroom when I realized that I had an unread message. When I read its contents, my heart was filled with joy, and I immediately called and informed my spouse about the good news. He became so happy and promised that he would accompany me in the afternoon after he was done with his work so that we would cash it out.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Our lives as a family have never remained the same again since we have been able to complete building our house. Because of this, cleaning it has been made easier and less tedious. Apart from this, I am happy that we can now concentrate on paying school fees for our four children on time so that they will be able to concentrate on our studies. This will help them improve their grades and secure a better future for themselves.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We had started building a permanent and more spacious house but had to stop without completing it since we wanted to concentrate on paying school fees for our children. We came to this decision since we have three children at different levels of education and my niece who is under our care and they had been home frequently due to school fee arrears. I am happy that with the transfer, we were able to complete it and we have already started living in it. We spent KES 34600 on ten bags of cement to use in fixing the tiles and two steel doors after tithing KES 5500. Using the remaining amount, I bought 1.5 sacks of maize, cooking fat, bar soap, washing powder, and other household necessities that we did not have. I depend on a small business where I buy milk from farmers and supply them at the nearest cooler plant where I am paid after 15 days. I usually earn an average of KES 200 a day which is equivalent to KES 4800 a month since I usually do not work on Sundays. This is what I have been using to cater to our basic needs while my spouse concentrates on paying school fees for our children and other projects. I am glad that we can finally start another project since we have completed the construction of our house.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I live in an area where there have been challenges of in adequate rainfall. Therefore the dry land does not give good yields in the farm. My ambition is to do a poultry farming in order to boost my income at home. My husband is a teacher and the salary he earns caters for school fees for our children. Recently we started building a new house but we have not been able to complete because of the financial constraints. Receiving this money means a better life for me and my family. I plan to use KES20000 to buy 200 one day old chicks. KES50000 will cater for the construction of a chicken coop. The remaining amount will cater for the vaccines and feeds for a start.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the past one month, my son was able to secure a job at Kenya Wildlife Service. We all celebrated as a family and I was excited for such an opportunity. He will be an asset at home and be able to offset other bills. This is what makes us feel happy in the family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The main challenge that I currently face is lack if a stable income in my home. We have been depending with what my husband earns for everything at home. But since he took a loan that was used to pay t school fees, life has been difficult here at home. We need to buy maize but the finance is a challenge. I believe that when I start this poultry project our will change.
