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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($450 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
check
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
For the last one year, I have been supplying milk in the school that my children are in to reduce school debt, we used to supply about 20 litres of milk to school every day and in return, the school debt is reduced. Now that I have cleared the debt, I will be using the money from the milk we sell to buy a piece of land to start venturing into food farming or chicken farming.
By the end of another year, I hope to have made enough money and finally buy the land we want.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Giving everyone cash and letting us plan it by ourselves was a very good way of solving our financial constraints.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With the second transfers, I used ksh 35000 to pay school fees arrears for my four children in highschool who have been on and off for the whole term but I got to finally clear the debt for all of them and given that they are almost done with school, It really means so much to me to see them settle in school like other students as they finish off.
I also bought one more cow with the rest of the transfers to add to the three that I usually have, so that I can increase the supply of milk as I plan for my next business venture.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was in the morning when I was having breakfast with my family when I thought of checking my phone. I went and got it from where I had placed it the previous night. I unlocked it and I saw that I had a new message. I opened it and wow! I could not believe my eyes when I saw that I had received KES 55000 from GiveDirectly as promised. I was so happy and I immediately showed my wife the piece of good news. She was so happy too and we celebrated together giving thanks to God. We now knew that the plans that we had already made were now going to be fulfilled.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a big difference in our lives as a family. The situation was tough, especially because we had a child who was joining the secondary school and the other who had completed but had not picked up his certificate due to the arrears. We didn't know where we were going to get the huge sum of money needed and the only option that we had in mind was to sell one of our cows. GiveDirectly transfer however came to our rescue. We are thus happy because our children were able to go to school and we cleared the arrears. We no longer resorted to selling the cow to get money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent our entire recent transfer on paying school fees for our children. We had one who was joining the secondary school and we were being required by the school to clear school fees for the whole academic term. We also had another who recently finished his secondary school studies but he had not picked up his certificate since he still had school fee arrears. Other than the two, we also have two others who are in their third and fourth year of study In secondary school. We managed to clear school fees for the one who recently joined the secondary school and the one who had completed. Getting money for paying school fees has always been our biggest challenge. I am a small-scale mixed farmer. I usually grow maize and sell them to get money. I also rear a few cows and I usually sell some of the milk to also get money for paying school fees. When things are tough, I am usually forced to self a calf to raise money for the school fees. We are thus grateful to GiveDirectly for their big support.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My daughter completed her primary schooling recently and she is yet to join a secondary school in May this year. Being a small-scale farmer with 5 children in school I have a lot of pressure on how to get school fees for all these children. From the income I get from the sale of milk it is difficult to save an adequate amount of money to pay school fees amounting to KES 200000 per year. This money will facilitate the payment of these school fees because I will use KES 80000 on it and with the remaining KES 25000 I will invest in farming.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My daughter sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams this month and this has given us joy as a family. I am extremely happy because despite the challenges and delays in fee payment she was able to do her exams this year.I am also hopeful that she will excel and join a good school.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
In the past 4 years, my wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was hospitalized for a month. This resulted in a hospital bill of KES 1000000. Paying this amount has been a challenge to us, we have done four fundraisers but could not settle it. Furthermore, I have sold out most of my livestock but since it could not settle the debt I decided to give my title deed as collateral at the hospital. This debt is a major challenge am currently facing and it always gives me sleepless nights especially since my title deed is in the hands of other people.