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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3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($497 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?
Before I received the transfer, I did not have a source of income and mostly relied on casual jobs that were mostly unreliable. It was very tough getting by and paying my bills, but the toughest moment was when I could not raise my rent on time and had to face my unforgiving landlord. I was able to start a new business with part of my transfer where I now make a decent amount each day, therefore, having no stress of whether I will have something to eat at the end of the day or not. Through the transfer, I was also able to construct a new house on a piece of land I owned and now, I do not have to pay rent. I am now living a stress-free life because I have a source of income and a place to call my own, all thanks to Give Directly.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
With the money that I recently received, I was able to construct a new house on a piece of land that I owned but could not build on due to lack of finances. Now that I own a house and does not have to pay rent, I am hoping that I will improve on my monthly savings from my business so that I can later invest on other businesses or improve the current one I run.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had planned to construct a house on a family land that I own so that I would move from the rental house I lived in and stop paying rent. When I received the most recent transfer, I used the whole of it to purchase the required construction materials required and constructed a new house on that piece of land. I am glad to be living in my own house where I no longer have to worry about confrontations by my Landlord whenever there are delays in rent payments.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
37152 KES ($364 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?
I had a small business selling sweets before I received these transfers which earned me very little money that could barely take care of my daily needs and I had to really struggle to provide for my family. Paying the rent was the most difficult part as I could not manage to make enough savings from the business. When I received the first transfer from Give Directly, I decided to start another business on coffee making on the same spot I sell the sweets. This business has been a good one as it has increased my daily income making it easier for me to save while also managing the other requirements with ease. The difference is that I no longer struggle to fend for my family as I did before because of my increased daily income.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
I have not yet completed the construction of my new house, so I would like to use the money that I will be receiving to complete it. I am currently selling sweets during the day and coffee in the evenings, where I earn money for my daily upkeep, but not enough to assist with the construction of the house. This is why I have to entirely rely on the transfers to construct my new house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had plans of constructing a new house on a portion of land given to me years back by my grandmother that is withing the city which I had not begun. With the whole amount I recently received, I was able to start off the construction of the house using the money to purchase the required construction materials and paying the construction workers.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($193 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to build a house on the bare land that I was given by my late grandmother. This will save me a great deal since I will no longer pay rent once my new house is complete.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have started a second business of selling coffee and boosted the first one as well. I no longer take loans from friends to pay rent like I used to do before. I am glad that I am not a burden to my friends anymore. I have also learned the art of planing for instance in the morning, I operate the first business and the second one operates in the afternoon. The can only thank GiveDirectly for the financial empowerment.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My business has not been doing so well and it was on the verge of collapsing. Therefore, I decided to start selling coffee to maximize the income that I was getting out of selling sweets. From my research, few people were doing this business and mostly they were hawkers meaning that they were not at one point. Taking this opportunity is a decision that I have not regretted to date because it brings out my satisfaction either financially nor socially through networking. I also bought a mattress. I was using an old one which was uncomfortable. The remaining amount was spent on paying rent which had been a burden on my side.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
The moment I received my transfer I felt very happy. I heard my phone vibrate at around 3 am. The tone awoke me and I had to check the message to find out who had texted me very early in the morning. when I read the message and realized that It was from Give Directly, I was so happy. I never went back to sleep because of the anxiety. I decided to listen to music on the radio because I could not sleep anymore.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My first priority for the Give Directly money is to invest in my business of selling coffee. Will buy more products and sell in medium scale. I will also be selling cakes, this way my clients can also buy accompaniments for the coffee. It's a good business and with an improved sells scale I can get more returns. This will help me sustain my livelihood.
Secondly I want to build my own house here in Mathare. I previously acquired a small plot if land and could not build due to lack of money. Paying rent money stresses me out, so once I build my own home I will not worry so much on not meeting my monthly rent.
Lastly I will buy some household equipments, one of them being a mattress. The one I sleep on is torn and very thin. It will be nice to have a good sleep for once.As for the remaining money I will start a business of selling men trousers from eastleign. It seems quite interesting and also generates more income.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is poverty because being poor means I cannot afford to sustain my life in many ways. It also means I won't be able to meet my daily needs. I worry mostly that I might remain in poverty untill death. My only source of income is selling coffee by hawking.It does not generate enough income for me to sustain my life. I would want a better life for myself and my family as well. I want to see my children going to a good school,having a good home and being able to sustain my family financially.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambitions in life is to be a successful business man, to have my own businesses of selling clothes and even open a big hotel. Success in my businesses will mean that my finances will increase and I would afford the better things in life, also I will be able to move from the slums and provide a better life for my family.
My other ambition has been to owning a home, this will give me security of not having to move from one house to another. The money would spent on rent will be saved for something else in the future.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
On my usual day,I wake up do some cleaning then just watch movies till evening. My work involves selling coffee in the evening since its mostly chilly. I normally hawk the coffee around Mathare till around 10 o'clock at night, then go back home, cook, eat and sleep. While I barely work during the day, whenever it's garbage collection day, am forced to wake up early collect garbage with my group members then go home and prepare for my evening job.
During my free or spare time I try to socialize with friends and spend time with my girlfriend.
