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
53150 KES ($438 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My main aim is to ensure I give quality education to my four primary school children. Since I am a widow, I have been involving myself in casual labor to save money for them. Despite the hardship I go through, I have not fallen out of faith. I am very optimistic that I will manage to fulfill the desires of their hearts through determination.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly changed my living condition from grass to grace. I term the organization as a life-changer because of how I was before, I would be worse than that if it were not for GiveDirectly. Waking up very tired and exhausted every morning was the daily routine for my family due to the condition of our beds. I am happy about the transformation we got from GiveDirectly. Currently, we sleep comfortably and wake up strong and relaxed because we got nice beds and bedding through the GiveDirectly transfers.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received the money for the second time, the first thing I thought of was nice sleeping places. My children and I used to sleep on small traditional beds which were not comfortable. Instead of waking up relaxed and restful, we used to wake up exhausted. Therefore, I opted to buy two modern standard beds and two mattresses for $330. One bed was mine and the other one for my children. As of now, we are very happy because we usually wake up strong, refreshed and ready to pick up the day's activities. I also bought 10 goats as an investment. I chose goats over cows because of the climate condition in our area. Goats can survive in harsh conditions while cows cannot cope. For the remaining amount, I used $50 to pay school fees for my children and used the rest to buy some food for the family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 6am while I was at the shamba weeding when I received a message on my phone. Since I do not know how to read, I just proceeded with the task I was on till 9am when I returned home. After contacting my daughter concerning the message she confirmed that I had received the first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy for receiving a huge amount of money at once.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Initially, my life was not moving well. I used to sleep on the floor, sleep hungry, but as of now, things are moving on well. As a family, we get daily meals not as before when we used to skip meals. I also managed to start a construction of a new house because the old one was collapsing. Very soon, I will be in a nice house, and this is because of GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon withdrawing the money, the first thing I did was buying a bed and a mattress. I did this because I had none due to poverty and my desire was to get them so that I sleep comfortably. I also paid KES 3000.00 school fees for my primary school children since they had been sent home for school fees. Thereafter, I decided to build a new house because the one I had was old and collapsing. For the remaining amount, I used it to buy some food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My husband died seven years ago and since then I have been the sole breadwinner for my household. Infepenf entirely on selling vegetables and bananas the main economic activity for my family. I earn around KES 200 per month which all goes to food leaving other needs unattended. The coming of Givedirectly will enable me to improve the education performance of my children. I am planning to spend the first transfer to buy 10 indigenous goats so that I created assets that will help me when in needy. I will also use a portion of the second remittances to clear my loan balance of KES 20,000 and school fees for my daughter who is going to be in grade 6 next academic year. I will be impressed when I achieve this goal because the performance of my children will improve since they will have quality time at school thereby attaining better results.
What is the happiest part of your day?
II received KES 8000 from the National Government for orphans and Vulnerable Children. I spend KES 5500 to pay school fees for my children, stationery, and the remaining amount for other domestic use such as water and food. It brought joy and happiness to my household because it was a high relief to me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a widow with four children who depend on me for a living. I work as a vendor selling vegetables and bananas from one household to another. I earn a profit of KES 4500 per month which is not sufficient for all the basic needs of the family. All the income is spent on buying food. Due to this, I have been struggling to cater to the education of my children. Sometimes, they stay at home due to fee balances which have affected their progress at school. The lack of a regular source of income is the major challenge that I am currently facing.
