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 ($435 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?
I am a trained welder and ever since I graduated from collage, I have wanted to open my own workshop since being employed never worked for me due to low wages. Although I have never been able to raise enough capital to start my own business, I am looking forward to start saving towards the same. Being able to open my own workshop means that I will be able to pay school fees for my children and cater for other basic needs.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
what GiveDirectly does well is uplifting our lives through giving us unconditional cash transfers. This money has transformed my whole village and I can imagine how many people got their lives changed through the transfers. I would urge the organization to continue transforming more societies.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Both my wife and I are peasant farmers and we got no any other source of income. Raising our seven children has not been easy especially paying school fees for the ones who are in high school. For us to raise their fees, we have been working as casuals in the nearby tea plantations. For the last two school terms, we were not able to pay all their school fees because the prevailing drought had made it hard for tea farmers to have some good harvest hence affecting us their casuals. Therefore they had accumulate huge fees balance. With our first transfer, we were able to pay part of the balance and spend $120 of our second transfer to pay the balance. I spend the balance to buy food and clothes for the children to replace their torn ones.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($468 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 3 Pm I was at work. When my neighbor called me to inform me he has received the money, I should check mine when. Immediately I checked my phone and there was a message confirming that I have equally received the money. I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. This was one of the happiest days of my life. I knew I would be able to pay school fees for my daughter who was joining form one. My family members felt so happy too. GiveDirectly has changed our living standard to be much better than before and we are so grateful for the support.
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 was able to pay school fees for my daughter who joined form one this year. This was the biggest worry that I had, I could have sold some of my few assets for the school fees. I depend on small-scale farming and do casual jobs of welding. The money that I got through this is so small and I was not in a position to save some money. I was so stressed about where to get the money for the school fees. My daughter also felt so happy because she joined the school on time and I did some shopping and ensure that she had all the requirements. Currently, I do my job peacefully and ensure that I save some money so that I would be able to pay for the next academic year. My daughter is studying well without being disturbed and I wish to see better performance. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has enabled us to fulfill our dream of educating our children.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30,000 on school fees for my daughter who was joining form one. This could have been the biggest challenge because I did not has any saving or money to pay school fees. I would have properly sold some of my items. Currently, my daughter is studying well without being disturbed. I spent KES 8,000 on setting down the debt that I had borrowed from my friend. This gave me peace of mind to conduct other daily activities without stress. I spent KES 10,000 on food for the family the rest of the family. The remaining amount I spent on household items. I am so happy for the support because were it not GiveDirectly all this could have taken quite some time to fulfill.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means an actualization of my desire to utilize the welding skills that I have by starting my business. I have been for the past 2 years employed to work as a welder in a nearby town. I earn a monthly salary of about KES. 4,000 only after making sales of over KES. 32,000. The employer takes a huge chunk of the profits that the business makes. Due to the rising cost of living I had appealed to them to review my salary but the appeal wasn't welcomed. I have then been saving money to help me purchase a welding machine and according to my projection, I will have raised KES. 20,000 by January 2023. However, due to your help as GiveDirectly, I shall be able to buy a welding machine as soon as I receive the first transfers. I will also secure a shop in town where I'll be storing the tools. I expect my first transfers to be spent fully on that. For the second transfers I shall use it to buy supplies and make the first products in the business. I am hopeful that by June this year I will fully be operating my business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am happy about the weather conditions lately. For the past 5 months we have had consistent rainfall here. This helps us to produce garden vegetables for our consumption and have rain water for household use. This cuts the costs we usually spend on food and the time we usually spend in fetching water.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The rising cost of living is the biggest challenge am currently facing. My children need school fees, farming is no longer productive due to pests and diseases and that's what I used to depend on. My firstborn is set to start high school in May this year and I don't even have an idea where the initial cash needed to start school will come from. My salary cannot sustain all these needs and it really gives me a hard time.
