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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($439 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?
I am relieved that we have a spacious room to move into after the completion of my main house with the second transfer. At the moment, I would like to demolish the old house that we are currently using as a kitchen and build a smaller, more suitable structure with better roofing materials. Even though I don't have a steady source of income right now, I am hoping to start saving from the casual labor I have been doing in the neighborhood and begin purchasing materials in bits. This may take a long time because I am also struggling to meet the cost of my family's daily bread.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
When GiveDirectly arrived in our village, it brought about a complete transformation. When compared to other organizations' community projects, their unique and brilliant idea to address individual issues through direct cash transfers was the best. Everything was done so well that no one complained, but we still wish for more GiveDirectly support because we still have a lot to do.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For a long time, I lived in a small hut with my two children and their mother that was too old and leaking on the roof. Because of financial constraints, I was unable to build a new house and had to make do with sub standard shelter for an extended period of time. When I received the second transfer, I used a portion of it to build a new house large enough for my family of four. I spent $176 on buying 22 iron sheets, $135 on building poles and timber, and $100 on labor. I am relieved that the construction is finished, and we are looking forward to building a new kitchen to replace the old one. I also spent $80 on food that we used for two months and the remainder on clothes for my children and other household items.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($468 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was in a meeting that day in the village. I had earlier heard my phone ring but could not think it was anything serious or anything that required my attention. It was not until later in the day at around 7:00 pm that I checked and saw a message from GiveDirectly. It was one of the best messages I have ever read. They had finally made good their promise of sending us cash to our accounts. I shared the good news with my wife and children who equally were very happy. My children were so quick to advise me to buy a dairy cow since we had stayed long enough without one.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the dairy cow that I bought. I know that my two children will no longer lack milk and we will be able to meet other needs of the family through sale of this important commodity. I look forward to receiving the second transfer and making further huge investments with it.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a dairy cow worth KES 50000 and used the remaining amount of money to buy clothes and food for the family. I had received earlier been lucky to buy one but which had died following a short sickness season rendering us helpless. I am happy that I was finally able to buy a replacement of it with GiveDirectly transfers since the casual work that I engaged in could not allow me to buy one.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I engage in casual jobs and subsistence farming as a way of livelihood. Though I have a family of three, our daily basic needs are overwhelming to my sources of income. I had bought a heifer some years back knowing that it would help us cut our expenditures have calves as our assets. Unfortunately, our hopes were swallowed by the death of our heifer last year. This cash to me means the hope of better family life. I am planning to buy a cow worth KES 40000. I prefer this since I am certain we will have milk for our household consumption and sales to earn an income. I am hopeful our health will improve with the nutritious meals we will have from milk. I also cut down the daily household expenditures and cater more assets to help us in future.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am the breadwinner of my family and my happiness is to see my family have access to the basic needs. My child is have not started school yet thus daily food is my current biggest agenda. In the last six months, my happiness has been from the maize harvest we had. We currently have enough food which is my happiness as the head of the household.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My wife and I were not lucky to go beyond the primary level of education. Getting a formal job with no education is not easy thus we majorly depend on casual jobs and farming. I have lived a hand-to-mouth life since we could not afford to save. I can not afford to bring an asset. To me, financial instability is my biggest challenge.
