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.
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 shall have established my shopkeeping business to enable me sustain the needs of my family even after the stop of GiveDirectly transfers. I am currently saving my monthly transfers to help me start up this small business.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
Receiving these transfers has empowered me to do things that I would have been unable to do with my little income from care taking job that I do. I have been able to use these transfers to improve our house by changing the wooden doors and windows to those made of steel. This was made possible through the savings made over the last few months and we are now living in more secure house courtesy of GiveDirectly transfers. I no longer have to worry about the termites that were continuously destroying the wooden windows and doors and posing a threat to our security as a family. The cost of buying insecticides to contain the termites every month is now a thing of the past.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I currently work as a caretaker in my neighbour's place where I get a very little amount of money for my salary. The money that I receive as my salary is so little that it cannot sustain all of my family's needs. The transfers that I have been receiving from GiveDirectly have been of great support in enabling me to meet some of these basic needs for my family. However, the transfers will soon come to an end and we may end up struggling to meet the cost of the basic household needs again. It is for this reason that I am planning to start a shopkeeping business with the remaining few transfers by saving them to be able to have start-up capital.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My house had wooden doors and windows which were often attacked by termites and they were at the verge of being fully destroyed. Moreover, I was using a lot of money to buy insecticides in an attempt to contain the termites which were posing a major threat to us as a family. With GiveDirectly transfers, I have been able to save up enough and bought steel doors and windows which I have been able to fix. I am happy because I do not have to spend on the expensive insecticides or worry about our security because we now have secure doors and windows.
11th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect my life to change in that, I will have started operating my business hence getting income. I have already started strategizing on how I will go about the business as I keep my monthly income so as to meet this goal. I am also optimistic that my business will do well because of the demand for household items in our area. If all goes well, I will have enough money to also repair my house by cementing it and fixing new windows and doors.
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 my family can now eat well. We have never slept hungry ever since I started receiving the monthly transfer. Initially, we would sleep hungry after a long day of searching and walking long distances especially during the spells of hunger. Most of the time we would just drink water and sleep. Casual jobs are normally unreliable and when I could get one, I could use the money to pay school fees and ended up remaining with nothing. We lived a life of despair and misery. I am glad that of late I have prioritized my needs by making sure that I put food on the table first and the other needs to follow next.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to start a business. I am planning to start a retail shop because there are very few shops in this village. Most of these shops don't have a variety of goods that most of the households need, therefore, I see this as an opportunity that would earn me good money. I am tired of depending on casual jobs that are usually unpredictable. With the shop business up and running, I am certain to have a reliable source of income
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was before Give Directly came into our village. Initially, I would not meet most of my daily needs but nowadays I have started planning on how to achieve my long term goals. I am still able to save some money after settling my daily needs. My family dresses well unlike before where they could wear torn ones due to lack of money to buy new ones. I am also able to feed my family very well. They eat all the three meals in a day unlike before where we could stay hungry the whole day. I thank Give Directly for giving me support to do all these things.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
When I am done with my house plastering project, I will venture into Fish-mongering as a supplementary source of fo income. I have done my research on this and I know where to get them at a lower price to maximize the profits. This is the best I can do for now because it does not require a large capital.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
These transfers have helped my wife expand her business meaning that she now makes more profit compared to what she earned before. This has taken off quite a huge burden from me as she has completely taken over the family responsibilities. I am now able to save the money that I earn from my salary and my monthly transfers from GD to help us achieve our goal of plastering our house which is currently made of mud. This will ensure it's durability and make it look more decent.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal is to save enough money to enable me to purchase sand and cement that will be used in plastering our house. This has been my goal for a very time but little income versus high household requirements and responsibilities has stalled it for a while now. I am glad that the plan is now on course and I believe that soon, I will achieve it.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Ever since my wife started her own business and started making some good profits out of it, there has been a lot of peace and understanding between me and her. This is because we no longer have to quarrel over petty household needs as she is able to do that on my own while my priority is to make sure that our home is improved through proper renovations.
3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
4560 KES ($45 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I would like to set up a shop that would be a source of income for my family even after the two years that we will be receiving the money.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I now have dreams and ambitions such as setting up a good business and renovating my house which would only be a dream without these transfers. With the money that I have been receiving,I can now afford to buy whatever I want unlike before that my only solution most of the time was borrowing.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I am currently saving some part of these transfers which I hope will soon be enough to purchase materials that I will use to plaster my house,especially the
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before I started receiving the money,I had a lot difficulty providing for my family,we would often sleep on empty stomach,but things have changed for the better because that has never happened ever since I received my first transfer.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I faced is having an unreliable source of income which has made it hard to provide basic needs for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening after the days activities as I relax.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on starting a fish business as a source of income.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement was in 2008 when I harvested 12 bags of maize, 2 bags of sorghum and 1 and a half bags of beans. I sold some of the produce and renovated my current house, bought a cow and two sheep and my family also never went without food during that period..