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 ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before receiving the transfers, we used to live in a small house that used to be a shop for my husbands family. This would still be the same had I not received the transfer. I am now glad that I was able to build a more spacious house for my family using part of the transfers.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by giving out financial aid and bringing families together and I do not see anything that they do not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My spouse runs a clothes business and due to the hard economic times which resulted from the outbreak of Covid-19, this business had gone down. Also, we had started using the returns from this business on food instead of acquiring more stock. When I received my transfers, we decided as a family to spend KES 20000 to boost it. In addition, I spent KES 12000 to buy three sets of seats and their cushions. Using the remaining amount, I bought some food and other household necessities.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was still asleep when the SMS got into my phone. I woke up some ten minutes later and I decided to check my phone. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the SMS indicating that we had received the 55000/= transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and I immediately informed my husband who was still asleep. He was extremely happy too and we celebrated and gave thanks to God and GiveDirectly for the help.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The money from GiveDirectly is going to create a very big difference in our life as a family. We will be able to finish constructing the house that had become hard for us to complete. We will therefore be able to live comfortably when the house gets finished and we will no longer be having worries about where we are to get money to complete it. The two goats that we bought are going to multiply in number with time and hence it can help us with other things. We can sell some of them and use the money in expanding the business or to attend to an emergency that might occur. The calf that we plan to buy with the remaining money will grow and when it reproduces, we will be able to get milk that my family can consume. We will hence be able to save up money that we have been using on buying milk. Also, with the two bags of maize that we bought with the transfer, we will be able to have something to eat for quite some time as we wait for the ones on the farm to ripen. We will thus not worry about what we are going to eat.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The transfer from GiveDirectly has been of great help to us. We were able to complete the construction of a house that we had started building. We were also able to buy two bags of maize that will serve as food for the family, bought two goats that we wanted to rear, and I invested some of the money in my business of selling clothes. We still have a little bit of the money remaining that we plan to use on buying a calf. We decided to settle on doing the above because these are the things that we have always wanted to do and we needed them the most. We have however not been able to because they require a large sum of money that we did not have. The money that we have been getting from the business has mostly been going to the purchase of food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Since completing my college studies and failing to be formally employed, I have been dreaming of running my own business by opening a shop in our vicinity. Unfortunately, I have never had sufficient financial resources for starting the project. Hence, receiving this money means that my dream shall materialize soon.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when taking some rest after successfully accomplishing my daily duties and household chores. This rejuvenates me as I look forward to handling other emerging tasks.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is the continued lack of clean water for our household uses. As such, it usually takes me about two hours to and fro a nearby stream where I fetch water on daily basis by carrying a 20-litre jerrican on my back. This task consumes most of my time and energy that I could utilize in accomplishing other duties.
