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 ($478 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?
My new goal is to open a workshop. I am a carpenter and I would like to open a workshop of my own so that I can have a stable source of income that will enable me to provide for my family and pay school fees for my three children in secondary school comfortably. I also would like to buy a power saw that will help me in my carpentry work. I will be able to saw timber to use in my workshop. I am casually employed in other people's workshops and when there is no work to do there, I usually do the motorbike taxi business. The money that I have been raising from my hustles is what has been helping me in buying food for my family and paying school fees for my children.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well because they taught us well in meeting that they held with the members of the community before starting the enrollment process. We got to learn more about the program and GiveDirectly. Before GiveDirectly came to our village, we had heard rumors about them from other villages that they had supported before, but we are glad that we got to know the facts from them through the meeting. I did not see anything wrong with how they do their work.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my recent transfer on paying school fees for my children. I spent approximately KES 31000 on paying for the three who are still in secondary school. I did not manage the clear the whole amount but I am glad that they were not sent home and hence their studies were not disrupted. I do not know where I could have gotten the money for paying their school fees since I was still owing the schools a lot of money. I also took KES 15000 and I gave it to my son to use in paying university fees that he is still owing them. He managed to finish his studies at the University but he is yet to graduate since he is owing to them a lot of money. He is still owing them KES 134000 after paying the KES 15000. With the remaining amount, that is, KES 6000, I used it in buying two bags of maize for our consumption. I am thus so much thankful to GiveDirectly for their generosity.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($484 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
That day, I had gone for my usual masonry work without my phone. It's while going about my work when I heard people ululating saying they had received their transfers.Out of curiosity, I immediately left my work for home where I checked my phone and confirmed to have received KES55000 from GiveDirectly. I was very happy and even decided took a day's rest from work just to celebrate GiveDirectly transfers.This is because I had never received such a lump sum before.
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 relief from school fees burden.This is because through the transfers I have managed to clear the school fees arrears that were piled up. This has also enabled to plan and do my work better unlike before when I used to have alot of stress when it came to fee payment.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES50000 on payment of school fees for my three kids in high school because I had a lot of pending fees arrears for the past school term and this term.I also spent KES 5000 on food and household items. I normally rely on masonry and motorcycle business in order to pay school fees and feed my family as well.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means improved academic performance for my Children. I have three children in Secondary schools. I do carpentry to earn a living but this job is not consistent so I alternate with bodaboda taxi where I earn 300 per day. My earnings are insufficient to meet all my household needs including paying for my children's education. I have school fee arrears of KES 200000. My son was supposed to graduate in August but due to lack of money, this has not been achieved. As a father, I feel overwhelmed. I was planning for fundraising to lift this burden off my shoulders. Give directly could not have come at a better time than this. So when I get this money I will use clear part of the arrears. It may not completely clear it all but I will be relieved from the big debt I have accumulated for some time now.
What is the happiest part of your day?
One month ago I bought a posho mill with the aim of income-generating and it has since worked well. With the little money I get from it, my family is now able to afford a meal despite the challenges of getting school fees. This has brought joy and happiness into my life since I can see sunshine at the end of the tunnel. The money we get from it will enable me to clear the fee arrears.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is lack of money. With children in various schools, this has weighed me down. I have a son who was the hope of this family when he graduate and get a job but he has not fulfilled his dream of graduating due to school fee arrears amounting to KES 160000. He is now a casual laborer working in a quarry. This is not something I desired for him as a parent as I see how he struggles to make a living and raise money to clear his university studies.
