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 is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In the coming years and beyond, my greatest hope is to build a new house for my family. Right now, we live in a small, one-room mud wall house that is far too cramped for my family of seven. The space is so limited that some of my children have to sleep with their grandmother in her house. This situation breaks my heart, as every parent wants to see their children safe and comfortable under one roof. With the support I receive from GiveDirectly, I plan to start saving and gathering materials, bit by bit, to make this dream a reality.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a mother of five, and my husband works as a motorbike rider. To support him in providing for our family, I sometimes take on casual jobs. With the last three transfers amounting to $102, I decided to save the entire amount. My goal is to buy a cow, so it was important to me to save every penny from these recent transfers. This decision was guided by our experience with our current cows, as we have seen how much they contribute to our family's well-being. Currently, I own one cow, and my husband has seven cows. Together, these cows provide us with milk, which we sell to earn additional income. This income helps us cover our daily needs and ensures our children are well cared for. By saving all of the last three transfers, I am getting closer to purchasing another cow. Adding to our herd will increase our milk production, allowing us to sell even more and secure a better future for our family. The cows have already proven to be a valuable asset, helping us provide for our children and ensuring we have a stable source of income. With this plan, I am confident that we are building a stronger foundation for our family, one that will support us for years to come.
25th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 6 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
In our small one-room house where my spouse, five kids, and I live, we're feeling cramped. So, I've started saving $14 from my monthly money to help build a bigger house for us all. We know our kids will need more space as they grow up, so we're making it a priority to plan for a bigger place. Me and my spouse are really committed to making this happen, and we're grateful for the help from Give Directly. With their support and our hard work, we're confident we can make our dream of a bigger house come true. We couldn't have done it without their help.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My children have been sleeping on the floor on an old, small mattress, which has been a constant worry for me, especially during heavy rains when I feared water might seep into the house. Thanks to the financial support from Give Directly, I was able to purchase new bedding, something I couldn't afford as a small-scale farmer. Upon receiving recent transfers, I allocated $34 towards purchasing a bed and a mattress, supplementing it with some personal savings. Additionally, I invested $14 each in new school uniforms for my two children, as their current ones were no worn out. The remaining $28 has been set aside for future savings towards building a house.
22nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($21 USD)
access_time 10 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Our primary goal is to start building our own house, as the current one has become too small for our growing family. Currently, some of my older children have to sleep at their grandmother's place due to the limited space. The cash transfers have provided us with the financial means to start this project. In addition to the house construction, I have plans to expand our dairy farming for additional income. Givedirectly transfers have made me optimistic about achieving these goals in the coming year,
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
GiveDirectly transfers have been a game-changer for my family. I accumulated a portion of the transfer and bought a dairy cow for $130. In a household where my husband runs a motorbike business, earning around $6, which is often insufficient to meet our needs, the cash transfers provided a vital boost. I also used $6 a part of the amount to pay school fees for my four children, ensuring their education continues uninterrupted. Engaging in dairy farming now generates a steady income of $1.2 a day. The additional income has not only contributed to our financial stability but also allowed us to fulfill our responsibilities, such as completing my husband's motorbike loan. We are grateful for the opportunities and improvements these transfers have provided us with.
18th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
As I mentioned earlier I am saving towards a big goal. I live in a one room house with my husband and four children, I had to move two of my children to live with their grandmother as they are growing up and are not small children anymore. I remained with my youngest in my house. We need more room as a family and that's why I am working towards building a 3 room house so that this old house can be used by my older children while the young ones get space in the new house. I will need about 40 iron sheets which is quite a big number seeing that the price of iron sheets have gone up. We are working with my husband to achieve this goal within good time to ensure our family has enough space.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The Givedirectly transfers are allowing me find ways of generating income. My husband had cows which I rear but since I started receiving this transfers I have been able to invest into getting my own animals. In July I got a sheep at $25. I also was able to pay for my children school fees over a number of months, I spent $10 in July, I bought uniform worth $20 in August and paid school fees again in September of $14. I have also saved in August and September towards a big project I have laid our, I have saved $10 in August and $20 in September.
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Our major plan is to build construct a family house. The one we are currently living is is almost falling down. We are sleeping and cooking in the same room. I will now be able to have a separate kitchen. I have two boys and two girls. Our plan is to build a four roomed house, where my sons and daughters will have separate rooms.
I will invest more in livestock rearing and continue educating my children. My eldest child is 9 years old, followed by a 6 year old then a 4 year old and the youngest being 3 years. I feel they are young and we would wish to sustain educating them comfortably.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have three children in school. I paid a total of Kshs.1000 for the three them. My husband took a motorbike on loan and I have been assisting him service the loan. I have been paying kshs.1000 monthly and I'm so proud and thanking Givedirectly for the transfers. Through this transfers we have been able to clear the debt. This is a debt we have serviced from November 2021.
I my bought my children school shoes worth kshs.600 and uniforms costing kshs.1,500. In addition to this, I bought clothes for the family that were worth kshs.2000.
Finally, I bought sheep, mature ones costed kshs.3000 while the young ones were worth kshs.2000.They are eight in total. I decided to invest in the sheep rearing so as to have a source of income. Since my husband bought a motor bike, I thought of giving him a helping hand and contribute in fending for the family. I felt we would to better with two incomes.
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I had told you earlier that I live in a one room house with my children. This is a very uncomfortable situation as we are all squeezed in in a very small space. I want to build a house this year with four rooms using GD transfers. I have been able to accumulate sheep over my last11 transfers which amount to 8 sheep. I believe that from the young ones they have I will have more sheep which I can sell to get money to substitute for roofing which is the most expensive part of the project. I also want to now focus on saving to add a cow before I can resume with buying more sheep. I believe animals for me are a good resource and provide a good emergency fund.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I live in a one room house with my four children and husband. We used to share a bed with my husband and our two children. Our mattress was all small and torn and very uncomfortable to sleep on. Our other two children would sleep with their grandmother which meant that they were an inconvenience to her since her mattress was also old and used up. I saved my October and November transfers to buy a mattress for myself and my husband at 57 dollars. I also used the December transfers to buy my children a mattress at 20 dollars. I was left with 10 dollars from my two months savings after buying the mattress which I used to pay school fees for my two children whose fees were in arrears. I also was able to get a sheep with a down payment of 14 dollars left after buying the second mattress.
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband recently bought a motorcycle on credit which has become our main household income. He pays KES 2700 weekly to service the debt and thus the unstable household income. We have four children, two are in primary school and the other two have not joined yet. Sometimes we struggle to meet our household needs and this has resulted in both school fees arrears for our children and poor sleeping conditions. With the last three months’ transfers, I paid KES 4000 to clear the school fees arrears and saved KES 1500 that I will add to the next transfer and purchase a mattress. I also bought a sheep worth KES 3500 to rear for business purposes.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Choosing to reach out to and enroll the less fortunate community members for financial aid is what GiveDirectly does well. In so doing, its staffs are not involved in any discriminatory practices thus giving an equal opportunity for every household. Furthermore, it continues to carry on with follow-up calls in order to learn about the impact of its transfer on our daily lives. However, I think that after we have begun receiving transfers, GiveDirectly ought to continue revisiting the recipients.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Throughout my life, I have been longing to raise my livestock because I had none. My desire seemed futile because I had no money to use to buy just a chicken. With my recent transfer, I was able to buy a sheep at KES 3,000. Even though at the moment I only own a sheep, I am optimistic to raise a flock from it in 3 years. With this livestock, I shall have an increased asset value in terms of the livestock. Therefore, in the event I will be in an urgent need of some cash, I will no longer struggle but rather sell some sheep from my flock.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 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 a normal day and usually am in charge of raising livestock. I was miles away in the forest seeking for a secure place where the animals would graze and have water.I had a beep and I jumped out of excitement because of the money received .I came home happy and planning on how I would spend on my cash
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is am able to support my husband with our plans for the future.Our main goal is in the next two years in the support program I will be able to start my construction project.I plan to have a bigger house now that I have four children and since we only have cattles and sheep.My plan is to buy chicken and as soon as the multiply I trade them for goats which are more profitable and easy to manage.Currently in my old one roomed house we sit on jerricans ,at the end of this program I will invest on good seats after moving in my new home.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am married with four children and my husband works as a motorcycle rider.when I received my cash transfer I used KES 500 to buy food because our household ran out of food the previous day.I decided to save the rest of the KES 700 to start a chicken business.My family has been struggling because my husband took the motorcycle on hire purchase, every day there is a minimum of KES 400 expected to be paid to reduce his actual balance and yet on his good day he only makes KES 600.Financial challenges due to this situation have had my whole family adapt to new lifestyle that is substandard.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house is on a verge of collapsing. It is a single room which serves as both kitchen and bedroom. My wish has always been to build another structure that we will use as a bedroom. Lack of privacy has contributed to this too since my children are almost getting to adolescents sleeping with them in the same room does not portray a good image at all. Receiving this money will therefore enable me to construct a better house for the family meaning we will now be able to get our privacy and that of the childrens'. These transfers however will not be enough to achieve all these once, and this is why I plan to buy building materials every month as I save some for labor.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When my spouse bought a motorcycle two months ago, I was very happy because now when I want to go visit my parent I do not have to be worried about transportation anymore.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having to depend on my husband for everything is frustrating. I believe for a family to be able to survive peacefully both wife and husband have to bring something to the table. It is not the same case for me because I still depend on him for everything. Currently, my challenge is the lack of money to even start a business that can bring an income so I can be in a position to help my spouse with some household responsibilities.