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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($440 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?
I don't have any goals at the moment because of financial constraints. But all in all, I am contented with the support that highly lifted my living standards tremendously.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
The financial support from GiveDirectly has made me achieve my goals easily without any hiccups. My living standards have improved courtesy of the unconditional transfer that I received, and I am forever grateful for this. The organization does its work diligently, and I did not witness any loophole in its line of work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Having a stable source of income can be satisfying. This has been my thought for a while now, but it was hard to invest in any business due to financial constraints. I am a businesswoman who depends on selling milk to earn an income. On the other side, my husband is into the animal trade business and together we have two children. Upon receiving my second transfer, I thought of buying a secondhand motorbike to attract an extra income. I, therefore, used $470 on the motorbike. Thereafter, I used the remaining amount on foodstuffs and clothes. The support from GiveDirectly changed our living standards amazingly, thus we are grateful.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($474 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was taking my breakfast when I received exciting news from GiveDirectly. It was a great morning filled with immeasurable joy after confirming that the message that had just come in was the confirmation of the receipt of my first transfer. I quickly rushed to show my husband who was outside then and he was equally happy. We later went out to our daily work and later that evening, my husband visited the nearby shopping center where he collected the whole amount.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the great transformation brought about by the huge investment in livestock and household foodstuff after receiving the first transfer. My household is grateful for the support from GiveDirectly as we are enjoying an easy time running other projects now unlike in the past when we would spend a lot of time looking for the casual labor that would finally earn us some amount to buy foodstuff.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Right after collecting the first transfer from the shopping center, my husband came home with a sack of maize worth KES 6000. We had been buying maize in small portions for so long that we realized that it had been more expensive buying for my family of four compared to obtaining it in bulk. I also proceeded to obtain a three-months in-calf dairy cow at KES 35000 from a neighbor who was selling it out with the hope of bringing the daily expenses on milk to a stop. In addition, I purchased new pairs of clothes for my family members worth KES 6500 and saved the remaining amount with the plan to add it to the small business that my husband had been running. I am grateful to GiveDirectly and I am looking forward to another great transformation once I receive the second transfer.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will allow to expand my business that I am currently doing. I am a business lady and I sell groceries from one house to another within the village. From this business I earn an average of KES.300 per day. However I have been able to provide food for the family and also buy other basic needs in the house. My husband is also a casual labourer at a nearby centre. We had planned to open a shop within the village and also include a grocery that will run concurrently. To realise this we needed a start up capital of KES. 80,000 to equip the shop with enough stock. We are happy that Givedirectly transfers will enable us to realise this dream.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I started this business of selling vegetables 5 months ago now. Initially I used to depend on casual jobs within the village and this was not always there we could even sleep without a meal back then. When I started this business life became better and my family were happy about it. Thou I have not optimized to my level best, but it is an income that we all depend on.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Currently the main challenge is lack of a stable income. From what I earn KES.300 in a day, we spend this in buying food for my family of six. I have children who are in school and I need to build a stable income. This will eventually allow me to comfortably pay for their school fees without struggling. I am happy that what I have been thinking to start will now happen through this transfers.
