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
53075 KES ($522 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than it would have been if I never received the transfer in that I could not have managed to build a house for my son and lease land due to lack of money. Today, I have peace of mind. Generally, I do not go for casual jobs so much because I have started poultry farming which helps in supplementing my needs when I sell some of the birds. The demand is high in our village and this has enabled me to take care of my needs with ease.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, the idea of GiveDirectly giving out transfers to an individual through the Mpesa and not through a second party was the best. We managed to get the exact amount of money that we were promised. If it was otherwise, maybe we could have gotten less money. It is also unconditional hence people used the money to buy various things that they lacked. Thanks to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on fencing my compound. Fencing it had brought a lot of peace because it has enabled me to start a poultry farming project. I had yeared to have something that I could depend on for a long time but it was not possible because of financial constraints. Today I have my poultry farming running, my birds are safe and they have not trespassed into someone's compound which I was worried about before starting the project. The demand of the hens are high and I have so far sold some of them which have really helped in taking care of my needs easily. I am grateful because I have not been depending on casual jobs so much which is unreliable but concentrated on my new business. I also bought a dairy cow for milk production. Apart from that, I also leased land which I have already planted. I had a small piece of land where I could plant a few crops which could not last as for more than three months. I know that in this harvesting season I will enjoy more produce that will help us cut the cost of buying food now and then.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($546 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I am able to afford everything and anything I want for my family. I have the money.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received from GiveDirectly,I was so happy. I have never handled such an amount of money in my life until I received it from GD.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent the money I received from GiveDirectly on fencing my home. I want to start poultry keeping so do not want them out of the compound. I have also spent some of the money on buying livestock. The remaining I spent on food for my family consumption in my household.
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I can finally starting rearing poultry for sale. I will use part of the money to buy timber, nails,iron roofing sheets and wire mesh which I will use to construct a chicken coop.
I will also use the remaining cash to buy some chicks and their feeds and hopefully after a while I will be able to sell them at a profit.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I wake up and I get some work.
This usually means that I afford to buy some food for my family and the smiles on their faces when I bring back food often makes me very happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I currently face is lack of a sustainable source of income. I am just a casual worker but sometimes jobs are difficult to find and this often means that I am unable to buy nutritious food for my family.
