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 ($492 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I now live in a spacious house courtesy of GiveDirectly as I was able to use my transfers to achieve this. Due to this, I have a place where my visitors can sit comfortably, rest and even sleep. In addition, I am a proud owner of a heifer. Even though I still buy milk daily, I am optimistic that this will not be the case anymore. All this would not have been possible had I not received the transfer.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my own opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out financial aid to everyone who qualifies and I do not see anything that they did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent around KES 35,000 from my transfer to build a spacious house for my family. My children are young and still growing and I settled to build a bigger house so that when they grow, they would have a place to sleep comfortably. Also, I decided to build a bigger house as I was tired of using one house which was a single room as bedroom, kitchen and sitting room. I spent the remaining amount on food, clothes and other household necessities.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($500 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 1PM when I heard a message alert on my phone and went ahead to check to know its contents. I felt so happy upon realizing that it was a confirmation message that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I went out celebrating to an extend of forget the lunch I was preparing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having a new decent house to me is the biggest difference in my daily life. I had no hopes of upgrading my a small, old grass-thatched hut I live in to a better one due to inadequate resources. I have lived in a pitiable condition due to the pathetic situation of my hut. One side of the house is almost collapsing and the roof is partly covered with nylon papers. I am really thankful to GiveDirectly for financial assistance. Currently, I am in the process of constructing a new house. I managed to purchase enough building materials which include iron sheets, poles and paid for the carpenter to construct. I feel this is the biggest difference in my daily life since it has brought back the lost hope and restored my self-esteem in my society. I will also soon live comfortably in a decent house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES26000 of my first transfer to purchase two heifers and KES2100 to buy chickens to add to my livestock. My intention is to keep them since I am looking forward to having many of them. Besides being assets to me, I can also sell them in case of any financial difficulty. I also spent24900 to purchase some building materials, which include iron sheets, building poles and nails to facilitate the construction of a new house. By doing this, I am happy that even my children will not be troubled with having somewhere to stay. In addition, I spent the remaining amount on household foodstuffs and items.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that my life and that of my family will change.I am a pleasant farmer, I grow vegetables and maize in my 1/4 acre garden and this is not enough to feed this family.when I receive the money I will improve our life's by buying a cow, food and clothing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the morning because the day has just started, the children have had breakfast to eat and they are happy. During the day I go out and work for other peoples farms as a labourer so that I can feed the children,for the days that I am not able to find any work to do, I go back home to my hungry children and it disturbs me a lot to see them cry for food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced was when I started living with my husband,we had started a family and we had a baby. During that time there was drought, the garden did not produce anything and so we had nothing to eat.we were jobless and we dependent on casual labour which was not enough to cover all the basic needs.living here became a struggle.
