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 ($493 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than it would have been if I had never received my transfers, in that I was able to build a spacious modern iron-roofed house and I am now sleeping comfortably with my family. Also, I own 2 indigenous dairy cows which will earn me income through the selling of milk. The income will help me meet our basic needs like food. My plan is to sell the offsprings when they reproduction to educate my children up to the college level.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, Givedirectly did something good for sending us the cash transfer that helped us improve our living standards. I don't see anything wrong with this program.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer to purchase one indigenous dairy cow. My plan is to sell milk to my neighbor when it reproduces to earn income and for my family consumption, I will be able to earn 1 dollar per day from this activity. Moreover, I bought 18 iron sheets at $8.8 each, nails, timber, and building poles this was for the construction of a new house since the one I had was grass-roofed and leaks. The remaining amount assisted me in educating my 6 children who are in primary school.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($502 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received a notification on my phone in the afternoon and on checking the contents, I realised I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was greatly overjoyed since this transfer would transform my life. I thanked GiveDirectly for supporting me and fulfilling their promise to us.
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 now have a heifer to keep in my homestead. My expectation is that this heifer will reproduce and have many of them. I had none at first though I desired to own them since they are valuable assets that I can rely on in case of a financial need. Besides, I am assured of getting milk to sell and also for my family's consumption.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 14000 of my first transfer on buying a heifer. I chose to buy the heifer so that as it reproduces and increase in number, I will be benefitting from the milk that it will be producing. Besides getting milk, I can rely on the offspring to cater for my financial needs like paying school fees for my children who are still young. In addition to this, I also bought some building poles in order to renovate my house which is in a bad state. I also bought a mattress to replace my replace my old mattress that I have been using for years. Lastly, I paid school fees for my children including new school uniforms for them and some stationery.
Enrolled
access_time almost 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a mother of eight children who rely on both casual jobs and subsistence farming to support my family. With such a big household thinking of an investment is a luxury. Receiving this money to me, means my family's future is secured. I am planning to spend part of it to buy livestock. I prefer livestock since these are reliable assets that I can have milk from for both household use and sales. I am hopping to keep the offspring so that I can sell them to meet my children school fees and other basic necessities when they are grown up.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Serving my family a dinner in the evening to me is a sign of ending of good day. I work hard during day both undertaking the household needs, casual jobs or farming in order to provide for my family. The happiest part of my day is in the evening when we have all eaten our supper ready to take a restful night.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
As a mother my happiness is always on my family well being. It was on a school day when I had sent my healthy children to school early in the morning before I received a report at the cause of that day that one of my son had broken his leg playing with his school mates. This was the hardest hardship I have faced in my life given that I rely on scares resources to see my family through. This was a tradegy that I had no plans for thus I had to run around looking for money to facilitate my son's medication and by the time he was out of the hospital bed, I was deeply sinking into huge debts. It was so hard for me meeting my household daily basic necessities at the same time settling the debts.
