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 ($461 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?
My new goal is to open a shop business for my wife. She is a small-scale farmer and most of the time she is free and with no work to do. She has always wished for us to open a shop so that she be busy operating it. The shop will also enable us to get more income. We managed to buy a motorbike with the recent transfer and I am saving some of the money that I am making from the motorbike. We plan to use the money saved on opening the shop.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly staff taught us well in the meeting that they held with the community members before embarking on the enrollment process. We got to learn a lot about GiveDirectly and its program. I also liked the fact that they were independent and they did not affiliate themselves with the government officials. The enrollment would not have been fair if they could have resorted to doing so. I thus do not see anything that I would recommend to them to change.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent KES 40000 of our recent transfer on buying a motorbike. We bought the motorbike because I work at a hardware shop and the motorbike was going to help me in transporting goods for people who come to shop at the hardware. This way we get to earn more income. We had thought of venturing into this business before but we didn't have the money to buy the motorbike. We are thus glad that we have managed to save up some of the money that we are making from the motorbike that we plan to use in opening the shop business. With the remaining transfer amount, we used it in buying clothes for ourselves and our one child. Thank you so much GiveDirectly for your generous help.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 4pm just after work while headed to the river when I heard an SMS notification on my phone. On checking, I confirmed to have received KES55000 from GiveDirectly. I was very excited and right away went to withdraw and started purchase of building materials.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving this transfers is building a modern semi permanent house. This is because I had desired to build one for the past one year and had even started saving towards it but GiveDirectly came in on time. Through the I was able to buy food in bulk which wasn't possible before due to meagre earnings from my casual labor. I am grateful because the money I had saved before for building a better house I have used in purchase of a heifer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES40000 on purchase of construction materials for building a semi-permanent house. This is because I had only a tiny grass thatched house which wouldn't accommodate visitors.I also spent KES15000 on beddings, clothing and food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a father of one primarily depending on casual jobs. I started casual jobs immediately after I dropped out of school. Even though it has not been easy doing these hard and low-paying jobs, I am happy I have been able to acquire some assets and see my family through in our daily needs. I had bought a heifer as a way of investing my income three years ago and this had been my happiness. A year ago, my only cow got sick and died shortly taking me back to my poverty. Currently with the family to take care of, I spend on milk daily. Receiving this money means I would again acquire an asset. I am planning to spend KES 30000 to buy a dairy cow. This will help me reduce the daily expenditure, have enough milk, and earn an income through sales of surplus milk.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I dropped out of school at the primary level since my parents could not afford to educate us. I took a step in life to development since I knew I was yet to face a hard life. With the scarce resources and big family at home, I had nothing to rely on. I went out to look for casual jobs and it has never been easy. In the last six months, I am so happy I have been fully engaged in a nearby market. I earn approximately KES 300 a day which has enabled me to meet my family's needs mainly food.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
In the last ten years, maize farming has not been doing well due to the outbreak of lethal necrosis disease. I am a subsistence farmer and maize farming has been one of my major engagements. I have not been able to harvest good yields that can sustain my family for long. Currently, the challenge I am facing is food shortage which has made life expensive thus we sometimes go hungry.
