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
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I had no new goals as the main aim was to complete the house that I had started to build with the first transfer. I decided to make this a priority when I received my second transfer because the first transfer hadn't been enough to complete it, and and this house was all I had wanted and needed all along.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for this program was so beneficial to so many of us according to what I hear from around the neighborhood and speaking for myself too. It is doing everything right, and I don't see any particular thing that GiveDirectly doesn't do well or does wrong. I am particularly grateful for the house that I got which is something I couldn't have achieved were it not for GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of the transfer which was around KES 28800 on completing my house that I had started to build with the first transfer but hadn't completed it. I, therefore, decided to make it a priority when I received the second transfer because I didn't want to abandon it and spend the money on any other thing. Completing the construction of this how was my main aim and I am so happy and content that I was able to fulfill it, because the house that we were living in previously was so small and congested as it was both the bedroom and kitchen. I am so happy now that I have a better and bigger house, with separate bedroom and kitchen which is something that I have always desired and will serve us for years to come.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 AM when I was at my daily hustle when my mobile phone started ringing continuously. I suspected there was an incoming message but since I am illiterate I asked one of my colleagues to read out for me the content. Upon checking he happily informed me that I had finally received my first transfers as promised during the enrolment stage. I remember seeking permission and back home since I couldn't even concentrate because of the excitement.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I was married ten years ago, I have been sleeping in a very poor environment. My house was very small with an old leaky roof. Life used to be tough during the rainy season because we had to seek shelter from our neighbors and relatives which were very embarrassing at some point. With my five family members getting someone to accommodate us all was very difficult. Therefore we sometimes had to opt to be rained on in our houses till the rain stops. My children were always attacked by some cold-related disease and harmful insects which was the worst experience ever. I have been trying to make ends meet but I couldn't able to raise the funds for the construction of a new house. Beng the family breadwinner, with a very low income of KES 100 per day, which was only for my family's daily meal. My family and I are all happy and thankful because were it not for the help I got from this organization, we would still be living a miserable life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For many years my house has been in critical condition and I have been lacking peace since then. Therefore after receiving the first transfer, I bought several building materials like building poles, pieces of iron sheets, timber, and nails at a total of KES 42000. It is now a relief to me because I will be sheltering in a good environment. In addition to that, I paid school fees of KES 2000 for my three children who are in the nearby primary school in the village. They are all happy and ambitious because they are no longer being sent home regularly as they used to. With the remaining amount of money, I am using it to buy enough foodstuffs for my family that would sustain us for a couple of weeks.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been living in a house that at the same time I use as a kitchen. This has not been good for our health since the smoke never gives us restful nights, also it exposes us to the risk of tuberculosis. Receiving this money means good health to my family because I intend to spend a better portion of my transfers ($500) to construct a decent house that will be spacious enough to accommodate even my visitors. On the other hand, I will invest part of the second transfer ($300) to buy goats that will act as my long-term investment project. The remaining amount will help me to cater to my very basic needs like food and paying school fees for my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day is occupied with many household chores like fetching water, cooking for the family as well as doing my charcoal work. This means I spend the better part of my day doing very tiresome activities that leave me tired when it reaches the evening. Again, it is in the evening when I find myself relaxed since I get ample time to rest. The resting re-energizes me most for the next day's activities and this makes it the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband is a water vendor at Mombasa, a job that earns him only $5 per day. This income is very low and it cannot fully cater to our basic needs something that has forced me to engage in very strenuous activities like charcoal burning to supplement his little income. Therefore, the lack of a reliable source of income becomes the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.
