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 ($451 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 currently have a goal that I want to complete by the end of the first quarter of the following year 2023. At my house, I want to fix a water tap. This is due to the high cost of purchasing water for home usage. However, I intend to start horticulture cultivation, which needs water for irrigation. Only if I have access to tap water at home will this be possible. Since veggies are hard to come by in our area due to the protracted drought, horticultural farming will be a source of income.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly performed admirably in our hamlet, not just for myself but also for other recipients of the transfer in families. In the past, it was usual for every family to live in subpar conditions and everyone struggled to provide for their children. The concept of free cash transfers eliminated the majority of problems, and everyone feels good after using it to fund new projects of their choosing. Like everyone else in the community, I noticed nothing wrong with the procedure, and I will always be appreciative to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have five children who are in primary school. Before getting the second transfer, they were sent home from school for fees. I went to the school to lobby with the administration for my children to be allowed in school as I struggle to source for the fees. Luckily enough the headteacher of the school understood. Upon getting the first transfer, I went back to the school and cleared all the fee arrears plus the current fees required for them. The total was $150. Currently, I am very happy because my children are settled in school and preparing for their end-of-year examinations. Their settling in school means good performance to me. I also bought them some clothes worth $50 because the ones they had were worn-out. Thereafter, I opted to save the remaining amount for the family's upkeep after doing some shopping for foodstuff for a whole month.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($465 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 6 in the evening when I was cleaning my compound as usual when I realised that I had received my first cash transfer. This felt like a dream to me because I did not see it coming very soon. I was overwhelmed with joy since I was so sure that I will achieve most of my goals.
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 finally constructed a kitchen which also serves as my store. Back in the day, I used to cook on my veranda and it was stressful whenever it rains. I was forced to cook in my bedroom since my house was not spacious enough. This could affect my kids, especially with the smoke. Apart from that, I did not have a permanent place to store my valuable properties and this led to theft and damages. I have been wanting to build the kitchen for quite some time but since I am the breadwinner who relies on temporary jobs, I could not afford it. I am so grateful to finally have this structure because I no longer have to worry about where to store my belongings and prepare food.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first cash transfer on buying building materials which include, iron sheets, building poles and nails at a total of KES 20000. This was for the construction of a kitchen which will also serve as my store. Preparing meals along my veranda used to be a trend since my house was small. Also, I cleared fees of KES 10000 for my four children who are in primary schools and bought uniforms which cost around KES 10000 as well. With the remaining amount, I have been buying foodstuffs for my family and other household items that I was lacking.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a lab technician earning 19,000 KES per month. Being a breadwinner, this monthly income is not enough to take care of all the family responsibilities. I had started chicken farming as a side hustle so that I can raise money to renovate my house. However, this has not been the case because of the bird flu that attacked them and caused their lives. I was hurt very much looking at how much I spent to start the project and losing half of it in a month. These transfers will help me to refurbish the house as I had planned and also expand the chicken business. My wife and I had plans of starting a few projects but lack of money did not allow us to achieve this. The transfers are coming at the right time when I needed a financial boost and since I want to make sure that my family lives in a conducive environment I plan to spend 55,000 KES on renovating the house and save the remaining amount as we plan on what to do next.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For many years my wife has been searching for a job so that she can help me with household responsibilities luckily towards the end of 2021 she secured a teaching job in a nearby school. This brought joy and happiness to our family because a small burden was lifted off me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My main challenges are lack of finances to make ends meet. As the sole breadwinner, it is frustrating when I come back home in the evening empty-handed without food for my children. The economic situation has played a big role in frustrating my life because the prices of the commodities have hiked thus making it difficult to continue having three meals a day.
