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
53150 KES ($460 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I have a new goal that I did not have before receiving the cash transfers which is to purchase a solar panel. For so many years I have been using candles that were a bit expensive and on some days, I could not afford them. This has been affecting my children especially when they had school assignments. I believe the panel will be of great help and a relief to us all. Also, I will use it to charge my phone and those of our neighbors at a fee and generate an income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly did well by informing and giving us enough teaching concerning the cash transfers. This enlightened the majority of us and there were no conflicts or theft cases among us. To add to that, everyone was given a chance to choose what to purchase depending on their household needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying nineteen goats at a total of KES 30000. I have desired to keep them in my compound but I did not have the required cash to purchase them. I however settled for them because as compared to the other domestic animals, goats reproduce and mature faster. Therefore once they multiply, I am planning to sell like ten of them and start a long-term project like a business. For now, I rely on casual jobs which are seasonal and I trust that the project will uplift my living standard. I later cleared a debt of KES 10000 to a friend in the village. To add to that, I cleared school fees arrears for my four children in secondary and primary school respectively. With the remaining amount, I bought foodstuffs for my family and other household items that I have been lacking in my household.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 8 am when I was relaxing from my day-to-day work of charcoal burning. My phone was off so I decided to switch it on so that I may get any updates of any calls or messages. Immediately, I received a message from Mpesa indicating that I had received my transfer. I felt very happy about the transfer since I had not received such a large amount of money before in my life. I informed my wife who did not believe and I had to give him the phone to confirm the messages.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Owning a decent and spacious shelter is the biggest difference in my daily life. This has restored my dignity since I was very ashamed of the bad conditions of my house. Previously, I was living in a small house that was used as a kitchen and store at the same time. I had to look for shelter whenever we received important guests like our in-laws.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer to construct a decent house by purchasing building materials which included 29 iron sheets, nails , building poles and timber. This is because my house was very small, despite it being small I used it as kitchen and granary at the same time. I was very ashamed whenever I saw my daughter-in-law cooking while I am relaxing in the house. In addition, I used KES 10,500 to invest in my goat's rearing activity. Moreover, I used KES 5000 to pay part of the school fees for my son who is taking a construction course. Lastly, I used KES 4900 to settle my debts at the shop.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means access to education for my children. I have a family of four children. Out of the four, two are in school. One is in technical college and one is in class eight. Paying their school fees and meeting their basic needs has really been a big challenge to me. This is because, I depend on charcoal burning to meet their basic needs. However, due to the persistent drought, this business has become unreliable and I make very little profit out it. In a month I can only make a profit of 3000 KES. This money is not sufficient to meet the basic needs of my family. My ambition has been to get money that will help me pay their school fees. Upon receiving this money, I will clear all the school fee balances of KES 20000 KES, and then buy twenty goats that will cost me 60000 KES which I will sell when they multiply as an income generating activity.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the first time in my life I had an opportunity to see a helicopter. This came about as a result of relief food from the government. The helicopter Landed in a local secondary school when it brought the aid food. My family received four kilograms of rice and four kilograms of beans. This was a big relief to me because I could go for charcoal burning and come back knowing that my family has enough food. This food sustained us for a whole week.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income is the main challenge that I am currently facing. Imagine having a family of four children without any source of income. What even worries me more are the two children who are currently in school. My charcoal burning business that I depend on is not enough to educate them. This has made them to be on and off school due to school fee balances. However, because I have no any other option, I have nothing to do but watch and suffer. The cash transfer will be a big relief to me and my family because most of my problems will be solved. I will buy twenty goats at a cost of 60000 KES which survive dry weather condition and keep them and sell when they multiply. This will be a big business investment for my family.
