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 ($501 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?
My life is different now because financial support empowered me to construct a decent house. Previously I was sheltering in a small old and weak house which was almost collapsing. I am now grateful because the new house now accommodates all my family members who have always been my dream. In addition, I now have livestock such as the ox the goats which I can lean on just in case of any financial crisis.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GD does well in the village because all the needy households were visited and given money respectively. Also, the money was unconditional and this gave us the opportunity to choose what to send the money on. I do not see anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
I spent part of my second transfer on buying an ox and some goats 20000. These will now be the living assets that I will lean on just in case of any emergency. I also bought food for my family's consumption and some other household items with the remaining amount of money.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($530 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The house that we have been living in for too long was in bad condition. I did not have enough money that could enable me to build a new house or renovate the one that we were staying in. On receiving this transfer, I bought enough materials for the rebuilding of this house. I purchased Iron sheets and poles timber and nails. The materials were enough that apart from renovating it, I managed to build a new kitchen for my household. To me, this is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the notification at around 3:00 pm in the evening, I could not hold the joy for sure because I never expected to receive such a sum of money in my life. I was filled with happiness now that I had received the support that would transform my whole life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When I received my first transfer, I bought adequate materials to enable me to renovate my house which was in a bad state. I bought building materials such as iron sheets, poles and timber nails for the rebuilding of this house. I also built a kitchen from the remainder of these materials. I was as well able to buy a goat to add onto the goats that I had in my compound and the remaining amount was used to buy other basic necessities such as food and clothes.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Owning livestock which I can depend on is what all receiving this money means to me. Currently, I am a single parent after separating with my husband twenty years ago. This has forced me to be the only breadwinner for the family, a situation that has subjected me to doing laborious jobs in order to provide our basic needs. My desire has been to own livestock that I can sell whenever a need arise and therefore, I plan to use my first transfer to buy goats. The second disbursement will help me in repairing my house, buying beddings and also support my grandchild's education. Hence, this will change my livelihood, a transformation that I have longed for.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As at today, my morning and afternoon hours look very boring since I am always alone. When I wake up in the morning, I prepare my grandchild to school. Thereafter, I am required to do my usual work of burning charcoal. In the evening, I feel so happy because my grandchild would have come back home and we talk more and share meals together. Therefore, I consider evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Separating with my husband when with three kinds twenty years ago has endorsed a big challenge in my life. Being a solely breadwinner for the family has forced me to engage in charcoal burning, a venture that is labour intensive and low paying. This situation affected my children's education negatively since they had to drop out of school due to lack of fee, something that made them to have early marriages. Currently, I live with my grandchild but still my life looks miserable due to financial instability. Therefore, I consider lack of reliable source of income as my biggest hardship.
