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.
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15th Payment
Transfer Amount
3997 KES ($40 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving these transfers is that I have a cloth business. Before the transfers, I used to rely on a small income from construction work and garbage collection in our area. The income could not even meet my personal needs and I used to really struggle when I had a financial crisis. I would have to beg for help which I would not get on most occasion. This is why I decided to start a business to help me get a stable source of income. As a result of the business, I no longer rely on others for help nor do I go begging as before. I am now able to raise money to handle my needs comfortably and I can now offer help to others. It is a great improvement in my life.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal, for now, is to ensure I pay school fees for my son. I would want to be a good parent by giving him the best while in school. I would like him to have a good foundation while in nursery school by being in school all the time and not being sent home for fees arrears.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer on buying school requirements such as school uniform, bags, books and shoes for my son who was joining nursery school for the first time. I have really waited for this moment and planned for it. I am glad GD was able to offer me the necessary help I needed through the transfers to ensure my child reports to school with all the requirements and in time.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
3997 KES ($39 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before the transfers, I did not have a good income. I used to rely on a small income from domestic work which I used to do on a daily business. I had an employer whom I would go wash for them to get an income to meet my needs. I had tried looking for what to do economically but could not. Doing domestic cleaning job was my only option until GD came to my life. I started using part of my transfer to buy cloth in bits so that I could have my own income from cloth business. Right now the business is doing well and I am happy I do not struggle to meet my needs as I used to before the transfers.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to continue saving so as to stabilise my business. My desire is to have a well-stocked business which will produce a good income from the profits. I believe when I stock my business well, I will be able to sell a lot which will increase my profits through income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer on boosting my cloth business by adding more stock. The business was going down and it has been my main source of income since I started receiving these transfers. I feared very soon I will lose the business. This is why I chose to boost the business so that I can enhance the profits which are my main source of income. Right now, the business is doing well and the fear of losing the business is no more because of GD transfers.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
5000 KES ($49 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 currently different from the way it would have been had I not received the transfers in that my living standards have improved. The business which I have been boosting with the transfers has been earning me good income which has enabled me to pay the school fee for my child on time. I have also been able to afford a balanced full day's meal. In addition to that, I have also been able to save some money for future use in case of an emergency.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
Currently, I do not have a specific place where I'm operating my business instead I hawk them which is inconveniencing especially during the rainy seasons. I, therefore, have an additional goal of saving some money so that I can secure a shop in the main market where I'll be selling the clothes. This will give me an easy time whenever it rains and it will also enable my customers to have a specific place where they can get me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before I started receiving money from GD I was selling clothes but it wasn't doing well because I didn't have enough stock. I have therefore been restocking the business with the GD transfers including the recent transfer. I'm happy the business is now stable and I'm getting good profit from it. Part of the money I paid for my child's school fee who is in pre-school so that I could reduce the amount of money she owed the school. I also saved a portion of the money for future use.
4th Payment
Transfer Amount
5000 KES ($50 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I am planning to pay school fees for my children for the whole year. I am hoping to get money through the proceeds and the transfer. Rainy season is fast approaching whicch is going to greatly affect my business in a negative way. April being a rainy season is not good for my business. The place where I am based usually floods, the customers cant access the place really well. The proceeds during this period will be low and I am preparing in advance for the same through paying my children's fees in advance. Earlier on they used to stay home a lot due to lack of school fees.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that my business is doing much better. I spent most of the transfer in increasing stock in my business. I am now reaping from this as the proceeds are now higher. I am able to meet my family daily needs and even have extra to save. Before receiving the transfers, my business was on the verge of collapsing as my capital had been depleted. I could get proceeds that were too little for my needs. I am really grateful as the transfers came in handy.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 3000 of the most to increase stock in my business. The remaining KES1000 went towards buying food items. I also spent KES 1000 to pay school fees for my child.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
I received the transfers at around 10 am while I was in my place of business. I was so excited but I kept the joy to myself to avoid a lot of attention and also for security reasons. Deep down I was so elated and my spirits were high. What excited me the most was GiveDirectly fulfilling their promise.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I will spend my transfers to expand my current business. I currently hawk ladies clothing like dresses. When I receive my transfers, I will get a stall/shop from a market like Gikomba where I can sell the clothes. Secondly, I will use my transfers to pay my rent where I live. Finally, I will assist my mother with her needs back at home in my rural home.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is failing to meet my daily needs because this would mean that I would not be able to provide for my son. I am the only breadwinner to my 5 year old son. I would feel sad and helpless if I get to a point where I cannot meet my son's needs. My second concern is falling sick because whenever I am sick, I cannot run my business which means I would not make an income on such days. This becomes difficult for me because it reduces me to begging or borrowing loans to sustain myself and my son. My third concern is a lack of peace of mind. This is because of the anxiety and a lack of focus that would come with a state of lack of peace. This state can also bring unhappy and sad feelings which make me feel bad and make my days long.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambition is to grow my clothes business to a point where I will supply bales of clothes to other re-sellers.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
I usually wake up at 5:00am to get myself ready for the day and to prepare my 5 year old son for school. After breakfast, I take my child to school and head to the market to get my stock for the day. I usually sell ladies clothing which I buy from the market and re-sell in my neighborhood. I pick my stock and head back to hawk them in my neighborhood up to around 4:00pm in the evening. I then pick my son from school at 5:00pm where we head back to the house for the evening. I assist him freshen up as I prepare dinner for him before sending him to bed. In my free time when I am not working, I enjoy watching TV, listening to "Classic FM", a local radio station, and visiting my friends.
