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 ($510 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have bought dairy cow. I used to buy milk daily and this was so costly for me since I had so many responsibilities to handle. I do small scale farming and the harvest that we get is only for consumption. I do sell the surplus at the market to earn an income to meet other basic household needs including paying school fees for my children in various schools. I did not had an extra income to buy a dairy cow. When I received the second transfer I bought a dairy cow and this has enabled me to cut the daily cost that I used to occur. The money that I could have used to buy milk I do save to pay school fees for my children. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend part of the money I received from GiveDirectly to buy a dairy cow. I used to buy milk daily and it was so costly for me. I also bought hens and build a poultry house. This is my daily source of income because I do sell the eggs at the shopping center to earn an income. I spend some to buy sofa set seats, food for the family and pay school fees for my children in various schools. My children used to be sent home to collect the school fees and this was affecting their performance. I was able to pay their fees on time for them to study.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($494 USD)
access_time almost 4 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was milking when I heard my phone beep and I hurriedly checked to see what the message was all about. On seeing that it was GiveDirectly transfers, I was excited and started calling my neighbours to ask them if they had received the transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I used to spend a lot of time going to fetch water from a buying point where a 20 litre jerrican goes for ksh 5. After buying the water tank and harvesting rain water, I am able to spend time I used to go to feed my cattle and my chicken. As a result of this, milk production has gone up and egg production has also gone up. I am now waiting for electricity to light my house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a 2000 litre water tank , wired my house ready for electricity and bought a net for my chicken.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that my dream of rearing sheep for commercial purposes will materialize. The little profit that I normally realize from my small business of selling second-hand clothes is barely enough for our basic needs. As such, GiveDirectly is God-sent because I have been praying and asking God to help me start the project. I will rear sheep for meat.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is during the daytime when I am handling my business of selling second-hand clothes. This is a great opportunity where I interact with persons from varied backgrounds; some make me happy while others challenge me. Accordingly, I grow and develop as a business person.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in life is dating a man (father of my 3 children) who ended up disrupting the growth and development of my business of selling second-hand clothes. The man used to take money from me even without my consent. This made me hate men and opted to stay as a single lady. Unfortunately, the incident adversely impacted on my dream of growing the clothes business and raising sheep because I have no one to boost me financially.
