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.
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Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($487 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I felt so happy and grateful a great deal the moment I received the money because I did not think it was possible to get all that amount. I felt like a real person since I could also get the things that I desired for so long which some I used to see or hear from other people. I was and still remain so grateful to GiveDirectly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my family and myself now get regular food and I no longer have to be worried about where I will find the next meal from. My children are in school with school fees paid in full and there's no way their education will be disrupted or interrupted by lack of school fees. I am so grateful and happy.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my transfer on my business that I had been running as my only regular source of income. I bought a sewing machine for KES 16000 and KES 10000 to set up my own roadside stall where I'll be offering my tailoring services. I did this I did not want to share the little or much income I would raise from my business with any other person or have to appropriate it for so many things that I would fail to have or remain with enough for my personal and family's immediate needs. I also spent KES 1950 to settle my children's school fees arrears and paid for the following term as well because I believe in education and I did not want my children's education to be interrupted or disrupted by lack of school fees and them being sent home. I not only believe that it is for their future but also for mine too since I know that with a good education, they will find employment and they will not forget about me. I will, therefore, count on them for any kind of financial assistance to address the challenges I will face in the future. I am so happy and hopeful, thanks to GiveDirectly.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will be a big boost financially. This is because I am a tailor but due to financial problems, I have not been able to fully utilize my skill. First of all I plan to buy another sewing machine which is of good quality since the current one is not the best model and is not in a good condition as well. This will cost me around KES 20,000. I also plan to build three rental rooms on my small piece of land which is adjacent to the shopping center. I will use one as my shop and rent out the other two. This will save me the cost of paying KES 2,000 monthly as shop rent. KES 80,000 will be enough to build the three rooms.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last week, we received food from the government. I was one of the beneficiaries whereby I was given 20 kilograms of maize and 5 kilograms of beans. I still have stock and we have not been skipping meals for the last one week. The rent debt for my tailoring shop had risen to KES 6,000 but I have now reduced the debt by KES 2,000 from my savings which could have otherwise been for buying food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Scarcity of food and water is the biggest challenge that I am currently facing. This is due to the ravaging drought that we are currently experiencing in our area. I buy three of four 20 litre jerricans of water per day at a cost of KES 50 each. This is very costly for me since I have to buy food every day for me and my three children. With most of the money going into buying food and water, paying school fees is now a problem to me. I am the sole bread winner since I seperated from my husband three years ago. I balance between casual jobs and my tailoring business inorder to get income. Both are very unreliable given the high poverty levels in this region.
