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 ($489 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?
I am a farmer who depends on the farm produce to earn a living, the little I get was not enough to build a good house, but with the transfer, all this was realised, life is different now, my living standards have improved from where it was, I cannot compare the small house that I was living in before with the current one., Secondly, I now own a dairy cow which I am hopeful that I will be able to earn an income by selling its products, I am so grateful for the support.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my interaction with the GiveDirectly staff, I will say that they are approachable and friendly, they treat everyone with respect irrespective of their social class. I don't see anything that is not done well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer I bought a big dairy cow worth KES 40,000, I had started building a house with my first transfer but it was still incomplete, therefore, I used the remaining part of the transfer to complete my house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($513 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received my first transfers, I felt so happy because I knew that whatever I have been yearning for shall be achieved. I was wondering how I would raise cash for buying materials for building a better house for my family but when I got the transfers that was the time I saw my dream come true.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that we have a more specious house with good furniture in it. With the transfers received, I was able to build a two roomed house made of ironed roofed. This semi permanent house is my greatest achievement of all times. I couldn't afford to raise money for buying the materials for constructing the house but I thank GiveDirectly for thier support which enabled me to build my dream house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before GiveDirectly came to our village, we were living in a very small house which I had build with little money which I had saved. The house was so squeezed for my growing family. When I got my first transfers, I spent KES 45000 on purchasing building materials and paying for labor for the construction of a new house. I then bought some furnitures at a cost of KES 5000. And another amount of KES 3000, I spent on buying a goat for rearing. The remaining amount of KES 2000, I spent on buying some foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I usually feel embarrassed when we have visitors since there's no extra room where they can sleep in. We usually have to ask our neighbors to accommodate our visitors, but at times they (neighbors) seem not welcoming. As such, receiving this money means that such a shame and embarrassment shall come to an end since I will build another house, purposely for our visitors.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a casual laborer, the happiest part of my day is at the mid-morning when I am handling my tasks knowing that I will get paid at the end of the day. Securing a job in our locality is a hard task since we have extremely few people who can offer them. Hence, securing one means a lot to my family that depends mainly on the gains from such jobs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We reside and do crop farming in only 0.4 acres of land yet we are aspiring farmers. We usually attain little income from our casual jobs, an amount that could barely meet our basic needs. As such, we cannot afford to lease or but more land for farming. Consequently, we usually experience shortage of foodstuffs in our house since the casual jobs are unreliable. Also, the little crops we harvest from our farm could hardly last for a month.
