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 ($458 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?
My new goal is to be able to restart my business of opening a pharmacy. This is a training that I got from a friend of mine and It needs capital of at least Kes 50000. This business will help me a lot and will save me from over borrowing especially with the current economic situation. I have been unable to do this since I pay a lot of money for my children in secondary and boarding schools. Once I am able to get the capital and implement this then I am sure my life will be far much better going forward.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly did well by giving us freedom to choose what to spend the money on. This alone made sure that we made the right decisions in terms of how we chose to spend the money
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 20000 to pay school fees for my child and used the remainder to continue with the construction of a toilet that we were building. The money came when I was midway through the construction work and it was timely for us as a family. The money also came at a time that I did not have money to pay school fees for my child who had just been sent home for school fees. I will always feel very much indebted to GiveDirectly.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($485 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 at about 8 pm after cooking dinner when I checked my phone and found I had an MPESA message bearing the good news from Give directly. I was delighted after confirming receipt of the same since I was ready to initiate the plans that I had.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life after receipt of my first transfer is the acquisition of a water tank which is currently full after the onset of rains two days ago. In addition, clearing the school fee balance for my child has also been a great fulfillment.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had always had plans of acquiring a big water tank since the water was a challenge. Though I had the small tank for keeping water it was not sufficient hence I had to travel a long distance to fetch water. Upon receiving first transfer, I spent Kshs.32,000 to purchase a huge water tank.I already set it up and since rains commenced two days ago it's already full and will not have an issue with water anytime soon.With Kshs.5,000 I used to settle school fees balance for my child who is in school and currently studying without being sent home.I also managed to purchase bricks and built a pit latrine as we wait for the second transfer to commence the construction of a new house.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My area is prone to drought and often I have to get someone to fetch water for household use. I have one water tank which I use in collecting rain water but recently there has been no rains and my household lacks water. I have to either fetch water in the morning before going to school or after and I'm normally tired from my teaching job in the evening.
I wish to have sufficient water for my household by buying another tank to add to the one I already have. The estimated cost for the tank is KES 15,000, and the remaining money from my first transfer I will pay school fees for my 4 children who are still in school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
We've struggled in building a bigger house that can accommodate all our 5 children and it has taken us almost 3 years to complete it. Finally earlier this year my 4 bedroom house was completed and all my children can sleep in their own rooms. I'm glad that in the past 6 months I've been able to provide quality housing for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My household's main income activity is teaching, my husband is a headteacher at a nearby school and I'm a primary school teacher. My salary per month is KES 15,000 while my husband's is slightly higher than mine. We have four children in school and paying their school fees has been a headache for both of us. We also took a loan to built our house and each month it's deducted from our pay. Whatever income remains per month is insufficient to sustain all our our household needs such as buying food and paying school fees.
