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 ($475 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Yes, I do have them. I want to build a good house for myself. The house I am currently living in is in a poor state and one of my goal is that I have to build a good house for myself before the rainy season comes. I also want to guild a toilet since I don’t have one at the moment.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well with the fact that it helps the vulnerable people in the society. I am grateful for their help in that I was able to build a house and currently I have a toilet for myself. I also commend them for the good work in giving cash directly to us. By doing so we are able to attend to the needs we think are very important for us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the money in buying building materials. I did buy iron sheets, I also spent KSH 5000 in buying building stones, I bought 14 bags of cement at a price of KSH 15400. I also paid the workers building the house all at a rate of 2,600 per day. After the completion of the house I also did build a toilet for myself. I previously did not have a toilet and used to my help myself in the bushes.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($497 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at my maternal home where I had gone on visit my mum who was sick. I heard a message on my phone, Being old and unable to see clearly, I pass over my phone to my niece who confirmed that I had received my transfer. I was excited to learn that I had received the aid. I immediately went to withdraw it to purchase drip water for my mum who was in bed sick.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the I am now living happily in a decent more permanent bricks house with my family. Previously, I had started the construction but it stopped due to lack of enough money. I was forced to stay in an open-roofed house. With the help of the transfer from GiveDirectly, I was able to complete the construction.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 40,000 to purchase 2 lorries of sandy and 15 bags of cement. This was for making bricks that I will use to complete the construction of a better house for my family. I had started sometime back but I was unable to complete it due to lack of finances. I was forced to stay in the open-roofed house. Currently, I am happy to have completed the construction and I live in a more permanent house that does not need frequent maintenance. In addition, I spent the remaining amount to pay for the medical bills as well as laying my mum to rest since she passed away due to the illnesses she was suffering from. .
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
In 2016, the roof of my house was brought down by a heavy whirlwind. I had no option but to rebuild the rooftop. This caused damage to my newly bought iron sheets. So, receiving this money means repairing my rooftop which usually leaks whenever it heavily rains.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband spends most of his time in the mosque because he is an elder. So, I find myself dying of loneliness during the day, considering that all my daughters in-law spends their day out, doing some casual jobs. In the evening, when my husband comes back home, he gives me good accompany. As well, it is in the evening that I get the opportunity to see my daughters in-law, with my grandchildren together. This gives me the sense of being a wife to my lovely husband and as well, the fact that I have grandchildren to story-tell and joke with. Hence, evening is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
After being married in 1969, my husband lost his casual job in Mombasa. So, he had to come back home. To fend for our basic wants, he resorted to make and sell charcoal. I used to accompany him to the unsecured forests, looking for woods. Sometimes we could spend days and nights in the cold, to look for enough woods. This made me not to have a close look after my children and I partially lost motherly attachment to them. Being taken care of by my mother-in-law, my daughters missed out the necessary parental guidance and ended up getting into early marriages. Today, they struggle to sustain themselves, and due to their illiteracy levels, the early-marriage problem has also trickled down to my grand-children. So, missing the opportunity to guide my children has been the biggest problem I have ever faced in my life.
