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.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to have my mum's house plastered and both the interior and exterior. That way, I will be certain that she is comfortable.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I joined university recently and the world introduced me to what we call responsibility. I stay in a bedsitter where I am expected to pay KES 2500 per month. The transfers I receive from GD have been of great assistance in helping me pay my rent and it has reduce the burden that my guardian was facing.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I hope to have finished plastering my mum's house and will be saving towards putting up a kiosk for my mum.
19th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
When I started receiving monthly transfers from GiveDirectly my life changed drastically through having fewer challenges in college. Currently, I am more independent since I no longer bother my parents to assist me with money to cater to my expenditures in school. They do not have to struggle so much and raise money for my upkeep but rather redirect the saved resources unto my siblings' education.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal is to directed towards performing well in my semesters and make life bearable the college. This is through using the monthly transfers for the four months to meet my daily basic needs without an additional strain on my parents.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
I am a student in one of the local college and I used to majorly depend on my parents for both my fees payment and pocket money. But since my parents do not have a stable source of income, getting enough money for my upkeep was quite a task. The biggest difference in my life for the last four months is I can afford to dress well and cater to my expenditures dependently without my parent's financial support anymore.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
Having developed the skill of budgeting mostly with the money I have at hand, therefore, I anticipate that in the next six months things shall have changed for the better as will have an easier time in college may be secured a job that I will be earning income after getting good grades.
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, my life is different from how it was in that. I am self-dependent. I have been able to take care of my rent and even save some which I plan to use in cementing my mother's house. My aunt has been supporting me for a very long time and now that we had agreed to atleast pay my rent in college, I feel that I have removed part of the burden from her.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have any new goal at the moment. I still want to pay rent. Now that I am in college and my aunt had told me to take part of the budget, I feel that when I start another project I might end up not paying my rent on time. I do not what anything that will interfere with my studies and this is why I am still put a large part of it on rent.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I was able to pay rent without fail. This has made my life easy in college because I do not think of my landlord locking my house. I have also been able to save some amount which I want to use in plastering my mother's house. I had saved my previous transfers and with the help from my aunt, we were able to build my mother a house. I want to finish it completely by cementing the floor probably in December.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I do not expect my life to change so much in the next six months in that, I will still be paying my rent. I stay outside the college compound and I do not want to reach a situation where my house is locked and this is why I can not start another project which might fail.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different in that, my aunt no longer has to worry about how my rent will be paid and she is left with concentrating on how to pay my school fees. Initially, you could tell she struggling to make ends meet for my comfort in school and this depressed her though she tried hiding it. Currently, ever since I started paying rent using the transfers, she affords to even make a random joke. I feel so good to see her have her life back.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
In the next four months, I am not having any new goals. I still will be using the transfers to pay rent for my hostel in college.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
In the past four months, I have been using my transfers to pay rent for my hostel. This has really been a boost, I stay with my aunt who has supported me all through my high school. When I joined college the burden became heavier. By paying the rent, it has given her less burden and all she is left with is to pay my school fees and send me money for upkeep.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life in the next six months will not have such a huge change but rather more comfort. I am guaranteed that my rent is paid on time and my school fee is readily available meaning I will not miss any lecture. This is a an indicator of a smooth semester.
7th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
What is currently different is that I have joined college and my mum is living in a better house than the one was was in before the transfers.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to plaster the walls and flour of my mums' house and build a boys quarters.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life in the past four months can be described by one word successful. I was able to build mum a beautiful house where she is now comfortable. Initially, she used to stay in a leaking grass thatched house but now she is better off.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I will have plastered the flour of my mum's house and will also be in the process of building the boys quarters.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
Yes I do. Before, I didn't have plans of constructing my mother a house because I had no source of income at all.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life has currently changed compared to how I was before being enrolled in Give Directly. I have developed self-reliance and very soon I will leave my aunt's house to start my own life.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I expect my life to change greatly. I expect to have my own house and be independent.
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 have developed much love and confidence in life with the assurance that I will build my mother a house.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced is when my dad passed on and I had to skip school days to work and earn a little money for my school fees and my family's up keep.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning, when I have showered and left the house to my aunt's shop. While there I do listen to music as I wait to attend to customers.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to build for my mum a house and take my younger siblings to school.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proud of is being able to finish my schooling. It wasn't easy to go through that path but I thank God my aunty saw me through.