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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($463 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Upon receipt of my transfers, I have been running various activities in my household. I currently have a goal of starting up a first-hand clothes business and at the moment am working towards getting the capital.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Givedirectly did well by boosting living standards for every household from the construction of houses, purchase of dairy cows, water tanks, and others which most people didn't have. I do not have any complaints.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receipt of my second transfer, I purchased three young bulls worth Kshs.50,000.I decided to invest in them because I am planning to buy a piece of land in the future since I have a small piece that is not adequate for farming. With the remaining part of the transfer, I bought clothes for my household members.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 11pm while asleep when I heard an SMS alert on my phone. On checking, it was KES55000 from GiveDirectly and I was very happy and even started dancing to different music tunes with a friend for the whole night and fell asleep around 6am.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is happiness because through the transfers I now have a high self esteem.Initially, I used to look down on myself because I didn't continue with my studies especially after high school due to lack of money. Also due to unreliable casual labor my heart had grown heavy and feel inferior to other people but with the coming of GiveDirectly transfers I am now open hearted.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES40000 on a quarter an acre of land because it will act as a long term investment. This is because I had desired to have my own piece of land since I was in school because our family land is too small for us. I spent KES2000 on food and clothing and the rest I have gave to my parents as a Christmas gift.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to get married. My parents left me under the care of my grandmother and relocated to Nakuru county. One year ago my guardian got a spinal cord injury which left her paralyzed. I had to live independently since my uncles could not afford to sustain my needs together with those of my grandmother as she needed surgery for the spine. So when I get this money I will build another house since the one I am currently living in is old and leaking when it rains. I will spend KES 25000 of my transfer to build an iron-roofed house then purchase two calves to pay for dowry. This will cost around KES 30000.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I recently got a casual job to weed beans in my neighborhood. This was the most paying since I was paid KES 400 per day for two days. This brought joy and happiness into my life since it has sustained me during this dry season.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge I am currently facing is financial constraints. I cleared secondary school one year ago but I have not been able to move to college due to a lack of money. This has forced me to do casual jobs weeding people's farms to get money. I earn KES 200 per day. This money goes to purchasing food and nothing to save. These casual jobs however are not consistent especially now that we are experiencing drought.
