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 ($526 USD)
access_time 4 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different than how it would have been had I not received the transfer because I have been able to build a decent and spacious house for my family. Due to this, I am now using my previous house as our kitchen. Also, I believe that I will soon stop buying milk when my cow calves. Apart from this, I will be earning an income through the sale of milk and use this money to buy some basic needs for my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly did well by giving us unconditional cash transfers so that we could use it to transform our lives.
What did you spend your second transfer on?
When I received my second transfer, I spent some amount to complete building a house that I had started building using my first transfers. Buying milk has been my routine and it is always costly. As a way if cutting down my daily expenditure, I bought a dairy cow. I believe that it will be calving soon and I will have enough milk for our consumption and for sale to earn an income. I spent the remaining amount to buy some seats since I did not have any and food for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($534 USD)
access_time over 4 years ago
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Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have built a better house for my family. Before I used to live in a small mud house which could not host all my family comfortably. At times when I had visitors, it was so hard and embarrassing since they could not get a place to sleep. My elder son was sleeping in my grandmother's house and this could mean moving in the late-night which was not so secure for him. I'm so happy for this support since it has changed my life a lot and the living standards of my family as a whole
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment I received the money I felt so happy because I have never received such amount before. It was very early in the morning and I was still in bed when I got the message. I did not bother to check the content of the message then until 7:00 am. I was preparing breakfast when I checked my phone only to find that I had received some amount of money. I could not believe what my eyes saw since I have never received such amount of money before in my life. I was so happy because I knew I would build a better house for the family among other plans that had always remained wishful in my life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer on buying building materials that would enable me to build a bigger and more spacious house. We currently live in a small mud-walled house that is hardly enough to accumulate all of us comfortably as a family. For a long time, I have been thinking about building a bigger house but due to financial difficulties, I have not been able to do this. I am happy that I have finally been able to construct a bigger house and this will give me an opportunity to think about bigger investments that will go a long way in improving the living standards of my family. I used the remaining amount of money to buy one dairy cow and food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am an unmarried single mother of six. I currently reside in my parent's land and my greatest ambition has always been to own land of my own. Receiving this money will see me edge closer to this reality in that I am planning to purchase about 0.2 acre piece of land within the village. This is going to give me a sense of worth.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am a casual labourer. My typical day involves going out in the morning to look for jobs in the village. Most of the jobs I get include weeding people's maize and beans farms. I would come back home in the evening carrying food for my five children. Besides, this gives me a sense of fulfilment knowing my children would not go to bed hungry. This is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The Kalenjin culture has lots of reservations when it comes to women rights, one of which is the ownership of land. I am unmarried and currently reside in my late parent's land amongst my brothers. I am just a caretaker. I live here a very worried person because deep down I know someday my brothers are going to demand what is culturally theirs. My biggest distress is the thought of being rendered homeless in future. This is the biggest hardship I've faced in my life.
