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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well in giving out the unconditional transfer to the poor and helpless people in the society. With this money, I will uplift my life and that of my family and live a better life away from poverty. Although the transfer given per month is little, with a good culture in saving one will be able to do great things with the transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I engage in a small business where I sell coconuts, vegetables and Omena. My husband is a motorist employed on short contracts to transport people with the Tricycle famously known as a Tuktuk. For the better part of his career, my husband has been employed and his earning have been very little. Before receiving the funds, I decided I will save part of the transfer and buy a Tuktuk for him so that he can maximize the profit. When I received the transfer, I saved KSH 2000 towards the plan to buy the Tuktuk for my husband. I also spent KSH 500 to pay the school fee debt for my children who are in school. They were on the verge of being kicked out of school due to school fee arrears. The remaining amount of KSH 500 I spent it on buying food to add to the dwindling stock in my house.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Although after being enrolled in the GiveDirectly program we were promised that we would soon begin receiving transfers, I had never imagined this would come so soon. To my surprise, I was at home that particular morning when transfers were sent out. I had been waiting for a call for some work but there seemed to be some unwelcomed delay. As a result, I was just thinking about where I would go to look for any casual job because I had no food in my house. When I realized that I had received my transfer at such a time, I felt extremely excited. For sure, this was God’s intervention in my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I received the GiveDirectly transfer, I have noticed slight changes in my lifestyle. First and foremost, for the past month, I was less stressed about how I would feed my family. My little daily wages of KES 100 comfortably supplemented the foodstuffs I bought with part of GiveDirectly’s transfer. I also never had much pressure on raising school fees because I had paid all the previous term’s fee arrears.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
As a result of a prolonged drought that destroyed all our crops, I did not have any foodstuff thus I was only relying on casual jobs to support my family. Upon the receipt of GiveDirectly’s transfers, I spent part of my transfer to buy maize flour worth KES 500 which has partially served me so well for the past month. I spent the rest of the transfer of KES 700 to pay school fees for my four children who are currently in primary school. I feel happier whenever I see my children leaving home for school every morning.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Raising up right children has never been an easy task for me and my husband given that I am a housewife and he's only employed as a motorcycle taxi driver. On good days, my husband earns KES 1000, and given that he stays in the city, this amount is not enough to pay his house rent, pay school fees for six kids and cater for basic needs. Our dream has been to own a motorcycle taxi but financial inability has been the biggest challenge. If my husband was to own a motorcycle, he would earn at least KES 3000 per day and this amount is enough to better our living standard. Am planning to commit myself to saving KES2000 monthly towards buying him a motorcycle and I am hopeful this dream will come true.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Despite many people losing their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis, my husband did not lose his job and he has been able to cater for family needs even though not all.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Paying school fees is the major challenge that I'm facing currently. With six kids in school, I can't afford to clear all their fees arrears at the same time. Sometimes they even spend a whole week out of school and this worries me a lot because it has so far affected their performances.
