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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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Enrollment
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Completed
Newsfeed > Hellen's Profile
Hellen's family
Hellen
landscapeCountry:
kenya
workOccupation:
Small business
faceAge:
32
workCampaign
Kenya Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($482 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Having received the funds from GiveDirectly, I have been able to purchase a plot of land and one that I can call my own.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly has played a major role in the community by enhancing and upgrading livelihoods all over.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The amount of 55000Ksh received from GiveDirectly has made a major impact in my life as I have been able to plan accordingly and invest the funds around my household and family. I bought a plot of my own at 50000Ksh and I am very happy to be a land owner now. I have two children and with that I set aside 1000Ksh for their school fees ensuring they do not get sent home due to fee arrears. A further 4000Ksh was spent to add to food supplements in the house hence we cannot sleep hungry now. This has been a great addition of income since my husband does bodaboda jobs which keep fluctuating daily.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was awakened by the loud vibration from my mobile phone at around 11 in the evening. I was a bit curious and surprised at the same since I wasn't expecting to hear from anyone at that particular time of the night. Therefore I decided to check the contents and I could believe what I saw. It was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly, I had finally received the first cash transfer as I had been promised some news weeks ago. I was so happy and thanked God for the financial breakthrough. I finally knew that the idea of owning some goats will finally be a success.
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 am now a proud owner of goats. I settled for the goats because they require minimal supervision and they reproduce very fast as compared to the other domestic animals. Before the coming of GiveDirectly, I did not have any livestock in my homestead and this was as a result of the financial hardships that I was undergoing. Being the breadwinner of the family, who solely depend on the temporary jobs with meager incomes, it has been though all along more so the issue of paying schools for my kids. They were always at home because of the arrears which have been demotivating them and affecting their academic performance. Also most of the day, we had to skip meals which was the worst experience in our lives. Currently, I am a happy mother because, in case of any financial constraint, I will be able to sell one of the goats and sort out the problem. I believe that my children will now have smooth learning like the rest which has been my dream.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 25000 of my first transfer on buying five goats which I am now keeping in my compound. I have been yearning to own them for quite some time but I couldn't afford them since they are relatively expensive. I also cleared school fees of KES 5000 for my three children so that they could study without any distractions as before. Later on, I cleared a hospital bill for my spouse who has been ailing for quite some time and we did not have sufficient funds for him to get proper medication. I am glad that he is now faring well. Finally, with the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs for the family that would sustain us for a couple of days.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
 
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always wanted an alternative source of income because the current one of selling charcoal is very involving and tiresome. Receiving this money will make my dream come true because I will use KES 15,000 to start a business of selling clothes. I will start the business at my shopping centre which is just a stone throw away. I believe the business will earn me better income compared to the charcoal one. We currently do not have a shop selling clothes in the shopping center and this is a gap that I would like to maximize. I will also budget around KES 20,000 to invest in goat farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The last one year has been tough because my husband started developing a growth that has seen him in and out of hospital. What brought me happiness in the midst of all this is the overwhelming support from friends and neighbors who helped me raise over KES 70,000 last month for his medication. I never expected such kind of financial and emotional support.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It's two weeks now since my husband was admitted to hospital. He has a growth in his body that necessitated an operation.This is giving me sleepless nights. This has drained us as a family financially since we depend on selling charcoal to earn a living. I had to seek assistance from family and friends to raise KES 70,000 for the operation. The hospital bill is growing each day since he is still in hospital and not doing well. My biggest worry is how I will be able to raise more funds and moreso, how long my husband will be in the hospital bed.