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 ($450 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I would like to start a grocery shop. The capital is affordable but with the bills I have and the rise of the economy I cannot allow myself to spend on anything extra. I live from hand to mouth. If I could come up with a plan, it would be saving for at least six months to come up with the amount.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has helped me upgrade my life. I now have a house that can accommodate all my children. Before the transfer my house was not conducive, my roof was leaking and the walls had holes that rodents would come in.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a farmer. I cultivate crops such as maize, pigweed, and spinach. But with current drought we are facing, I can no longer farm due to shortage of water. I ventured into other business selling timber which gives me a profit of $20 a week. This money is spent on food for my family. I have seven children, all attending school. My husband sells traditional medicine and the income he gets from his business is spent on paying school fees. The money we generate is not enough to take care of all our needs, and sometimes, we accumulate a lot of debt from school fees to food. With this transfer, I was able to pay all the debts which were $170, bought clothes for myself and the children that cost $30, and bought food with the rest of the money.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was working on my small farm with my eldest child. My phone beeped and there was a message received. I asked her to check for me and translate for me what the message said. My daughter smiled and said that I had received money from Segovia Technology. I was pleased and stopped what I was doing and asked her again what she said. She repeatedly said that I had received KES 55,000. We walked hastily back home to break the good news to the rest of the family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
It has been quite tough, especially with the cost of living rising and the unemployment situation. The biggest difference in my daily life is having our own business which will be our major source of income as my husband looks for a job. I am at peace with myself because my youngest one has joined the school on time. I had lost hope and will have him stay home until I can afford to take him to school.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband is unemployed, and it has been difficult for him to support our seven children with basic needs like food and education. Before receiving the cash, we had plans to open a grocery in order to have himself employed and support the family. I spent KES 45,000 to rent a shop and stock a few groceries to start with. Our last born had not gone to school, and I took KES 7000 to buy her uniform and books and paid for her first term in school. The remaining cash was spent on food which would last my family for a month.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am the first wife in a polygamous family. My co-wife and I share the same house but different rooms. I have a family of eight children and all of them share the same room with me. Some of then are adolescents and should be sleeping in a separate room. However, this is difficult due to lack of enough money. What is worrying me is the fact that even the house we live in is almost collapsing. Both my co-wife and I depend on our husband who works as a casual laborer in construction sites. These jobs are unreliable and on a good day, he takes home KES 500. This is not enough to sustain my children. We are left helpless not knowing what to do. My ambition is to build a two bedroom mud walled house which will be spacious enough to accommodate my family. This will cost KES 40000. The remaining amount will be used to educate my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
One of my eight children was born disabled. Raising her has been really difficult. What has been more disheartening is the fact that some people make fun of her especially children from my neighbourhood. As a mother, this has denied me joy ever since I gave birth to her. However, last month she was enrolled in a program by an organization championing for the welfare of disabled children. Since then, she has been receiving aid food of 24 Kilograms of maize flour, 5 litres of cooking oil and 20 kilograms of rice every month. This has been a big relief to my family as we are assured of at least two meals a day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a stable source of income is the main challenge that I am currently facing. Imagine having a family of eight children without any source of income! This has been stressing me year in year out. Over the years, I have been doing subsistence farming to feed my family. However, this is not possible due to the persistent drought that is facing our village. Consequently life has become more difficult and unbearable. I intend to fix this by starting a grocery in the village that will be an income generating activity. I will use KES 10000 of the second transfers from give directly to invest in this business and use the remaining amount to pay school fees for my children.
