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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My main objective is to acquire additional livestock, which will prove invaluable for supporting my family's education in the future. At present, I have six children who are attending primary school. By investing in livestock at this stage, I can allow them ample time to multiply, ensuring a sustainable source of income down the line. The proceeds from selling some of these animals can then be utilized to cover my children's school fees. I am pleased to note that there have been noticeable improvements in my children's education, as they are no longer faced with the frequent disruptions that previously resulted in them being sent home. This positive development brings me a great deal of happiness and reinforces my determination to continue working towards securing a brighter future for my family through educational opportunities.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I made a strategic decision to invest in two goats, valued at $38. This choice was guided by the bountiful harvest we received, which ensured an abundance of food for our family. As a result, our expenditure on food purchases has significantly decreased, thanks to the ample food reserves we now possess. The goats represent a prudent investment for the future, as I plan to sell some of them and utilize the proceeds to support my children's education when their numbers multiply. Recognizing the importance of providing for my children's needs, I used a portion of the transfers to purchase a fresh set of uniforms for all six of them, replacing their old and worn-out attire. Witnessing the joy and excitement on their faces as they donned their new uniforms was truly heartwarming. Additionally, I utilized my previous savings from the transfers to establish a small business. This venture allowed me to purchase sufficient stock, including items like sugar, tea leaves, and stationery, among others. I am delighted to have embarked on this entrepreneurial journey, with my primary objective being to achieve financial stability beyond the five-year period of financial aid. This milestone brings me a sense of contentment and optimism for the future, knowing that I am taking proactive steps towards securing a stable and prosperous future for my family.
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 6 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I was happy when I finally bought my first goat through the recent cash transfer, and my dream is to expand the herd. My ultimate goal is to acquire more goats and utilize them as a means to finance the education of all eight of my children. I am fully dedicated to supporting their education until they reach college. I firmly believe that livestock rearing presents the best opportunity for me to achieve this goal and provide a brighter future for my children.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
From the cash transfers I received, I utilized the funds to purchase a goat worth $28. Previously, I had been unable to afford to buy a goat due to outstanding tuition debts for my five children and the constant struggle with hunger. Thankfully, by the time I received last month’s cash, I had been able to settle the school debts for that month, which opened up an opportunity for me to allocate some funds towards acquiring a goat. I am optimistic that the goat will reproduce in the future, enabling me to generate funds to support my children's education. I am grateful for the ability to invest in goats, as they hold the potential to support the education of my children. Besides, providing for our family has been a challenge for my husband and me, as our charcoal-burning activity barely yields enough income for daily meals. The weekly earnings of $6 from this endeavor can only sustain us for three days. This is why it is important that I also secure every time I receive cash transfers. This is how I allocated the remaining $6 after buying the goat, ensuring that our family had enough to sustain us for the following two days.
10th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 USD)
access_time 10 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
We have seen an increase in our household income as a result of the monthly payments, and we are currently able to meet the majority of my family's demands, which makes me happy and appreciative. Even though the majority of the monthly transfers will go toward meeting our basic requirements, I plan to buy at least two goats this year to raise. They are profitable since I will have extra goats after they give birth that I may sell later to raise money for our requirements. I will set aside a percentage of the money each month in order to accomplish this.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Drought brought on by climatic change has made food and water scarce, and those that are accessible are exceedingly expensive. Additionally, we burn charcoal for sale as our primary source of money, but due to the drought, there are currently no trees in the area. The business is now unproductive as a result. The amount We currently make from it is $12 per month, but this is insufficient to meet all of our eight children's needs, including their academic demands. I spent $78 of the last three months' worth of transfers on food for the family, mostly enough flour, beans, and rice to last them for a while. In addition, the school clothes for four of my children had become too small for them. I thus spent $20 to replace the old ones with new ones. With the $4 I had left over, I bought a chicken to raise in the hopes of selling some of the young ones once they hatch.
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($25 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my recent cash transfer on paying fees of $20 for my five children who are in primary school They have been staying home for almost two weeks because of the arrears. This has been stressing me a lot since I had no idea when and where I would acquire the needed amount of cash. I am now having peace of mind after seeing them studying without any hiccups courtesy of GiveDirectly. With the remaining amount, I have been buying food for my family which is composed of nine members.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3050 KES ($26 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly is giving us an opportunity to progress and elevate our standards of living which is more than we could have asked for. Through the finances I keep my children in school and also ensure they never lack a meal like they have in the past.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Unfortunately two days before I received the transfers, my children had been kicked out of school due to my failure on settling the debt their had in school fees. Since I had no money either, they had to stay home. Luckily a couple of days later the cash transfers were sent by the organisation and as soon as they arrived, I proceeded to withdraw the money and paid KES 2,300 on school. The following day my children were happily on their way back to school. I was left with KES 700 which I decided to purchase with five packets of maize flour and a kilogram of beans since there was hardly any food in the house left and did not want us to go hungry as we have before.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the money at around ten in the night when I was just done bathing my kids. I was so happy when I received the money because the previous day, before GiveDirectly sent the money, I had gone hungry the entire day together with my kids. So getting the transfers made me genuinely excited.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
In my opinion it is mostly nutrition because I make charcoal as a way of earning money and providing for the needs of my family. The money I make is barely ever enough and most times my kids and I end up going going hungry for days. But that has definitely changed since knowing GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the money, my most important priority was to ensure that my family and I had a meal because there was barely enough food left in the house and I did not want my kids to go hungry. Therefore as soon as I received the funds I went ahead and bought seven packets of maize flour for KES 840, accompanied with a kilogram of sugar for KES 120 with salt and sardines worth KES 50.
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I'm struggling a lot to pay school fees for my five children who are still attending primary school. It costs me a total of 3700 KES per academic term, amount that is a little higher than what we get per month as a family. Our main source of income is charcoal burning and selling which is primarily what my husband does. I also eek that out by running a general shop from home. In a month we can get around 2000 KES as family income. This is not enough to pay school fees and provide for the family still. Getting this money will relieve me from the hard struggle to balance expenditures. I will be able to pay school fees comfortably and also boost my shop business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was genuinely happy at the beginning of that six months period when my business was still doing great and I was making enough profit to depend on. This time I even managed to pay school fees in time and my children were not sent home a lot. But thereafter things went haywire when my father in law died and we had to chanel all the resources we had towards funeral expenses. It drained us completely and at the end of it even our businesses collapsed.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It's a big challenge getting food to feed my family everyday. Due to this ongoing draught that has taken about a year with just small amounts of rain here and there. This made it impossible to conduct subsistence farming that we used to heavily rely on to supplement the little we're able to get from charcoal burning. We have been surviving on one meal a day for quite some time and even some days we've had to got without food at all. Food security still remains my biggest challenge.