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.
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3rd Payment
Transfer Amount
50000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Life was very tough for my family before I received the transfer because I did not earn much from my job as a tailor. I did not own a machine so I worked at a friend's shop, where I had to pay a commission for using her machine. My little income mostly affected my children who had trouble paying their fees on time and would mostly be sent away from school. I was also unable to make any decent savings as the little I earned was barely enough for the household needs. The transfer enabled me to purchase a new sawing machine that allowed me to open my own tailoring shop where I get to keep all the money I make which has, in turn, increased my earnings and savings. I now have hopes in life and able to comfortably provide for my family.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My main goal in life is to someday be able to impact another person's life the same way Give Directly did to mine. I want to do this by creating employment for at least one individual in my community which I intend to do by purchasing an extra sawing machine that will be used by the individual. I am currently working as a tailor and making hand made floor mats on order. I was previously working at a friend's tailoring shop because I did not have a sewing machine, but when I received the transfers, I purchased a new one which allowed me to branch out and start my own business. I am now able to make decent savings from the business which I know will make it possible for me to purchase the new machine soon.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had constructed a new house back at home, which I had not quite completed due to financial constraints. With part of my most recent transfer, I purchased the materials required to plaster the house and fixed the remaining areas. I used the remaining amount to pay school fees for my two children, one in high school and the other one in kindergarten.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
37152 KES ($361 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I do hawk second-hand clothes around Mathare area to earning a living. I am glad to have this business since it enables me to meet my daily household needs. I loved it and I had always wished to improve it to earn higher profits but couldn't happen due to limited resources. With GiveDirectly transfers, I was able to expand my business by bringing in more and different types of clothes into my business. Currently, I have increased the second-hand clothes I normally buy from Gikomba or Korokocho market. I currently enjoy higher profits which I save part of it I am hopeful that in the next few months I will quit hawking and rather have a stationary place to put up this business. This will help my customers to easily locate my business and reduce the movement I make in a day thus will relax as I earn from my business. I expect to get more profit in return.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life?
My new goal is to set up temporary structure and have my own selling station where I added more stock to the ones I had and my client can easily get access to my product easily at a strategic point hence getting more customers than hawking which is always tiresome since its accompanied with a lot of walking . Therefore, I would enjoy a higher profit which will support me to access basic needs and other services much easily.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my recent most transfer to clear school fees arrears of my step daughter who is in secondary school. I feel at peace since next year when she enrolls on for a new term she will stay in school without being sent home for school fees therefore I will be privileged to have ample time in search for school fees in that term. I restocked my tailoring and mat weaving business, saved 10,000 KES in our merry go round group. The remaining amount I also settled the loan I have in the merry go round as well.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
20000 KES ($194 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to expand my business. I want to have a business premise where most customers will easily access my services. Right now I operate from my house. Few people know that I mend clothes but I am certain that when I get a good place to put my business, I will get more income from the increased number of customers that I will be serving.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my income has increased. I bought my own sewing machine that I operate at home. I find it easy to plan my work because I do not waste time moving up and down looking for a machine to hire as I used to do before. I also do not hire anymore and the money that would have otherwise been used to hire the sewing machine is now used to cater for the cost of the basic household needs.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer to buy a second-hand sewing machine. It has always been my wish to have my own sewing machine so as to stop hiring for a few hours. It would be inconveniencing also when the machine could be engaged when I needed to use it most. Today I save on time that I could use moving up and down when I went to hire the machine and the profits have increased because I have my own and do not hire any more. I also managed to boost my second-hand clothes business. I am glad that it is doing well. Besides boosting my business, I managed to keep the remaining amount of money as savings. I just hope to use the savings to boost my two businesses next month in order to keep them up and running and improve our living standards as a family.
Describe the moment when you started receiving transfers. How did you feel?
The moment I received the transfer, I felt very happy. My husband was almost leaving for work early that morning when he heard a message on my phone. I decided to check to know what it was all about. when I read the message and realized that the transfer was already sent, I could not hide my joy. The first thing that I thought of was buying a sewing machine which I have been hiring to accomplish my work as a tailor at a cost.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
My first priority is to buy a sewing machine. I have been practicing on how to sew clothes from a friend of mine who is a tailor whenever I am around after hawking clothes around Mathare. I will be able to rent a shop in Mathare 4A and combine it with selling of second hand clothes which I normally hawk. Secondly, I will be able to expand my business of selling second hand clothes in a shop that I will rent in Mathare 4A. I normally get second hand clothes from Gikomba or Korokocho market which I later sell in Mathare. I would like to quit hawking clothes around Mathare and be able to be stationed in one place. This will help my customers to easily locate my business and I therefore expect to get more profit in return. Thirdly, I will complete my house in upcountry that I started constructing a year ago. I will be able to be frequenting my rural area unlike before where I was being accommodated by relatives that made me feel ashamed of myself.
Describe your biggest worry.
My top concern is health crises in my family because I have a child who convulses due to fever. I always fear that she might be having epilepsy that she could have inherited from my uncle. I normally feel bad when she convulses and this makes me to ask God questions why this has to happen to my daughter. When she convulses it usually drains our family resources because I have to take her to hospital to get medication. Taking care of my family and providing their upkeep has been a struggle for me since my income from my business of hawking clothes and that of my husband's casual work is not enough to cater for our needs. I sometimes end up accruing debts in order to cater for medication for my daughter as well as providing upkeep for my family. At times I result to borrowing food from my neighbors which makes me feel ashamed of myself.
What are your greatest ambitions?
My ambition is to become a nurse. I have always had a passion of being a nurse when I was young, this is because I had an uncle of mine who died of tuberculosis but I could not help to save his life at the time. I have always thought of being a nurse will give me a formal employment. I will be able to get a good pay that I will be able to take care of my family upkeep. I will be able to get my family out of slums where there are so many challenges that include fire outbreaks due to negligence and poor planning of houses, disease outbreaks, crime and political violence which occur during elections in our country.
Describe your usual day. How do you spend your time?
On my usual day I wake up very early in the morning at 6:00am. I prepare breakfast for my family and then I take my daughter to school. I then head back in my house, do some house chores until 10:00am. I then embark on my business of hawking clothes around Mathare, until 1:00pm when I return back home to prepare launch for my children before they return to school. I then return back to hawking clothes after preparing launch for my children upto 3:00pm when I return back home. I will then go to a friend of mine who is tailor to practice on how to sew clothes until 6:00pm in the evening when I return back home. I will then wash my children after coming out of school, help them do their homework as well as preparing supper for the family and I then retire to bed. In my free time I like to read novels and watch movies
