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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be updated on Mercylyne's next check-in.
21st Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($27 USD)
access_time 3 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am the first born of 6 children, my other 5 siblings are school going. My father who is our breadwinner is the one we depend on to get all these through school. I was able to finish my form four but I cannot get into college. My plan is to save enough to get to school. My way of saving is buying animals and feeding them until they multiply which I will in turn sell to allow me get into college and study teaching. I believe this is a profession that can allow me serve my community and make some cash.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My sister was recently married and it was such a joyous occasion. I needed to attend the even but since I did not have the clothes for it I waited for my transfers and was able to get a nice outfit at $15 to allow me get the expected clothes and attend the wedding. I had also been planning to buy chicken and a goat which I did at $50. I fell ill last month and I had to spend a portion of my transfers on getting medical attention which I did at $15. Having Givedirectly as a helping had has made my living at home very bearable.
17th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES
access_time 7 months ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My goal in the coming year and beyond is to save money for college. Having excelled in Secondary school, I am eager to pursue my dream of further education. To achieve this, I have started poultry farming using my monthly transfers to buy chickens. As they multiply, I plan to sell some and invest in goats. I believe that selling these goats will provide the funds I need to pay for my college fees. Additionally, I am saving $10 in our merry-go-round group, all of which will contribute towards covering my fees. I really appreciate Give Directly for this financial support because I am optimistic that I will join College very soon through the help of this financial support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I'm really passionate about poultry farming because it's easy to manage and doesn't require a lot of maintenance costs. In the past few months, I've been gradually building up my poultry farm by purchasing chickens. This time, I decided to allocate $67 from my recent transfers to buy more hens, further boosting my poultry project. I see this project as a long-term financial security for me. Additionally, I used part of my transfer $22 to invest in a goat because I know it will multiply and provide a valuable asset in case of future financial challenges. With the last $14, I bought some clothes for myself and a few for my sister.
14th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($21 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?
My goal this year is to further my education by enrolling in college and successfully completing my education. Armed with the knowledge and skills acquired during this educational journey, I am confident that I will be well-equipped to shape a better future for myself. The unconditional cash transfers I've been receiving have played a crucial role in making this aspiration a reality, providing the necessary support to pursue academic endeavors and paving the way for a brighter future ahea
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent $55 in buying livestock, a strategic move to generate additional income for my family. I believe that rearing these animals will not only provide financial support in the long run but also create a sustainable source of livelihood. With the remaining $13 I contributed towards my small siblings' school fees. with five of us currently attending school In a household where my parents run a charcoal burning business they often struggles to provide for us. This support has been a relief, it has been able to ease the financial burden on my parents and ensured that my siblings have the opportunity to pursue education. Understanding the financial constraints my family faces, I also used part of the cash transfer $19 on personal items, giving me a sense of independence and empowerment. I'm forever grateful.
9th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($24 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My primary goal is to pursue a college education in computer studies. Despite completing my secondary education last year, financial constraints have hindered my progress in furthering my studies. Witnessing my parents' enduring struggles, I am determined to gain the knowledge and skills that will enable me to provide them with much-needed support in the future. To attain this aspiration, I have devised a strategic plan that involves saving a portion of my income and investing it in livestock. Through the sale of livestock, I aim to secure the necessary funds to cover my college tuition fees and embark on a journey towards a brighter future for myself and my family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had just completed my secondary school, and my dream of joining college was hindered by financial constraints. Witnessing the challenges and struggles my parents faced, I was determined to invest in a project that would secure my future education. Thanks to GiveDirectly's support, I initiated a livestock rearing project. With the most recent transfers, I decided to add one more goat worth $15 to the herd I already had. With this project in place, I believe I'm on the path to achieving my goal of joining college. Additionally, I used part of the funds to pay $10 for the examination fees of four of my siblings, ensuring they can continue their education. I also bought myself a dress worth $9.20. I am eternally grateful to GiveDirectly for their invaluable support in shaping my future.
5th Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($26 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?
My parents were overburdened because I come from a large, impoverished family of 12. Therefore, when I sat for my national exams last year, I could not pay my school fee arrears. I have been bothered by this circumstance, and I am always considering how to reduce the remaining fee balance. With the guarantee of the monthly payments, my main objective is to pay off the remaining fee arrears. Even though I wish to advance academically, I will not be able to do so until I pay off my fee arrears and obtain my certificate. I also intend to use my transfers to boost my poultry farming which I started this year.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We are a large family of 12 members; ten siblings and our parents. Our number poses a challenge to our parents who constantly struggle to provide for our nutritional and educational needs. Painfully, during droughts and famine, we occasionally miss meals because our parents over-rely on charcoal burning to raise money to buy food. Therefore, when I received my transfer I spent $15 on food. I also spent $10 on paying school fee arrears that I had accumulated. Although I still have fee arrears of $120, I hope to clear them and pick up my certificates in the term. Lastly, I spent $3 to boost my poultry farm, and now I have four hens. I started a poultry farm this year courtesy of the transfer.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
3470 KES ($28 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?
As I mentioned earlier I cleared high school which means I can now pursue college education. I want to at least get into a computer college but with my current finances it feels next to impossible. I have created a plan that includes increasing the number of the chicken I own and then eventually selling them at a profit so I can be able to afford school fees. I want to at least get two hens per month but this will be determined by market price. I want to buy chicken from big chicken farmers which ensures I get them at affordable prices but also during a period when they are not so much in demand than I get a good value for my money.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I would really not change anything about your processes, your processes are thorough and even give us confidence in the fairness of cash distribution. I also like that Givedirectly has given us the power to decide what we use our money for. I have seen so much change in our area that attests to this. most people are animal rearers and business men. people have increased their flocks while others have expanded their businesses to ensure that now they sell much more. This unconditionality has also allowed parents to pay school fees while families are able to get food because no one dictates their purchases.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was in high school when I first received my GD transfers. I was in deep debt with the school and being that I was almost sitting for my exam. I was owing the school 155 dollars in school fees. My parents do not have much and have been struggling to pay my school fees. My father sells charcoal and my mother is a stay at home mother. My father's business earns him 6 dollars per sale if he makes any, most times however he will not make sales and it would usually be along time between sales. Since I wanted to be allowed to sit for my exams, when I got my first 12 dollars, I got to clear 10 dollars from my 155 dollars debt and bought flour which was worth 2 dollars to sustain myself through that month. My second transfer which came after I had cleared school is still going into settling my school fee debt to ensure I can collect my school certificates. I paid 15 dollars to reduce the then 145 dollars debt that was remaining. I teamed up with my father and added about 9 dollars to what he had to buy food while also getting myself two chicken at 7 dollars. I spent the remaining amount on clothes for myself.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had been school all day and switched off my phone. When I got home that evening, I powered in on and immediately it rang with a message confirming that I had received my first transfer from Give Directly. After waiting for three months, I had lost hope of ever receiving the money. This news really brightened my evening and restored the lost hope. Thank you Give Directly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The overly due school fee balance was becoming a headache by the time I received the transfer. My father had tried everything to settle it but it proved futile given the unsteadiness of his income. This stress reduced significantly when I received the cash transfer. Though it was not enough to fully settle the debt of $145, it gave me hope that I would eventually clear the fee through future transfer. Hope is the greatest difference I have felt. I am confident that these cash transfers will allow me to clear with school and obtain my certificate.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Throughout my high school education, the main challenge I faced was a lack of money for school fees. The scant money my father makes from charcoal burning can barely cover anything beyond the basics, that is food. For this reason, my tuition had remained unpaid for almost a year when I received the transfer; it had accumulated to $145. Given that I was set to sit for the national examinations towards the end of 2022, my priority was to help reduce the debt and I committed $10 from the cash transfer. Though the balance had not been cleared by the exam date, I am grateful that I was given a chance to take the tests. I used the remaining $2 as pocket money for my sustenance at school; mostly spent it on food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a secondary school student struggling with paying my school fees. I have been sent home severally to pick school fees and with my jobless parents, this has been impossible. I will use the GiveDirectly transfers to pay my school fees. Given that I am left with two years only, this will cost me a total of KES 30,000. I will use the balance to start a chicken rearing business so that I can diversify my family's income sources. The profits from the chicken business will help in financing my higher education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As we were ushering the new year, we slaughtered a goat and celebrated together with members of my extended family. This was the happiest moment.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of money to pay my school fees which has seen me miss a lot of classes is the biggest challenge I am currently facing. My family lacks money to facilitate my studies and sometimes I am forced to engage in casual jobs in the village to raise money.