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
55000 KES ($457 USD)
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?
At the moment, I do not have a new goal as I continue with the construction of a new house which is still under construction. The funds which I received got depleted before I completed it but the sale of farm produce that I raise will enable me to complete the house in a few months to come. I am so happy with the progress I have made so far.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly transforms the lives of many in our village, most people bought livestock and build houses. That's what can be noticed in our village at the moment. Some couldn't afford to do that but GiveDirectly made it possible for us.
There was nothing that wasn't done well as all received the same amount of money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The second transfer which I received from GiveDirectly, I spent the whole amount on buying building materials for the construction of a three-roomed house that was under construction. I am happy that the house is 80 % completed and I am remaining with plastering the floor only. The funds eased my burden and maybe I would have opted to build a smaller house that I would afford.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($479 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was almost 4 pm and I was going on with my work. I had left my phone charging so I had no idea what had transpired. I heard from people who were saying that the transfers had been sent. I had no time to go check my phone since soon after the transfers were sent I became busy with my motorcycle taxi business. People were busy moving from one place to another because they wanted to withdraw their transfers. I saw the SMS later at around 6 pm with the good news that I had also received the KES 55000 from GiveDirectly as promised. I was so happy and I told my wife about it when I got home. She was so excited and we celebrated together.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference that the transfer has brought into our lives is that we have managed to build a house that we are going to move into with our children when it becomes complete. We would not have managed to achieve this sooner because of the money to do so. We are therefore happy and grateful because of this.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my recent transfer, that is, about KES 40000 on building another house. I had bought land somewhere else before but I had not managed to build a house since I didn't have enough money. I wanted to build the house because I wanted to move to the piece of land and settle there with my family. The family land that we are living in it at the moment has become small and it is no longer enough for farming. I am the firstborn in the family and before, I had enough land to till since my brothers were still young. Nowadays they have grown and each one of them has been allocated a piece for cultivating, thus the small portion. I had thought of using the money that I was going to get from the merry-go-round group that I am in to build a semi-permanent house but when GiveDirectly came in with the program, I saw it best to build one that is iron-roofed and made of timber planks on the walls. I am a motorcycle taxi driver while my wife is a small-scale farmer. She usually grows crops such as vegetables, spring onions, and maize which she supplies to the school where our two children are studying. By doing so, she gets to pay for their school fees. On the other hand, the money that I get from the business is what I usually use in paying the merry-go-round contributions and I also help my wife in paying the school fees for our children. With the remaining amount, we used it in buying clothes for the children. We are thus grateful to GiveDirectly for their big support.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will mean an increase in the size of the land under cultivation. We have 0.5 acres in which we usually grow maize and when we harvest it, we grow kales. The produce from that piece of land is unsustainable because we harvest an average of 2 bags for domestic use. The two bags of maize is not enough to sustain my family of 5 throughout the year. We have been aspiring to purchase an additional 0.2 acres of it from our neighbor at KES 70,000. Fulfilling this dream will be a stepping stone to realizing food security in the family. I am super excited that soon I will be able to increase the size of land through the transfer I will get from Give Directly.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last 6 months, none of my children was sent home due to school fees arrears and that is what has brought happiness to our lives. My second-born child started her education journey 6 months ago. At first, I couldn't imagine if I will manage to pay their school fees but I was lucky that I was given tender to supply kales in that school. Part of the cash I get from the tender is deducted to meet my two children's education expenses and that is what makes me glad.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
High education expenses are the biggest challenge we are currently facing. I am a motorcycle taxi rider and two of my children are in a nearby private school and their school fees amount to KES 13,000 per term. That amount is too high because what I get as income from the motorcycle business is approximately KES 300 a day. The choice of taking the children to a private school was triggered by the need to give them better education and improve their future. Because of the high cost of living and the household basic needs, my income is not enough to cater to the entire family of 5. I feel sad that public schools cannot offer quality education for our children and the government has failed to address the issue.
