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.
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Currently, my life is different from how it was four months ago in that, I managed to do farming and got a bumper harvest. This has saved me a lot because I no longer do the hectic casual jobs that pay very low wages. I usually sell the harvest in order to meet my daily needs. This is the greatest relief ever, I can't imagine I will never do the casual jobs any time soon
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I don't have new goals at the moment. I spent a larger portion of my transfers in farming. With the remaining transfers, I am hoping to expand my poultry business.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life ever since I started receiving help from GD that I have been able to do farming. I always wait until my neighbors have harvested their produce so that I can buy from them. This is usually very expensive and inconveniencing. I am glad that I was able to lease land and afford the farm inputs. I also managed to pay labor and plant in time. I feel proud when I see the sacks of maize I harvested. For the first time in my life, I have finally eaten food from my sweat
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months because from the sales I will have saved enough money to build a kitchen. I badly want to build this kitchen because my children are first approaching the adolescent stage and I don't have an extra room to accommodate them. The kitchen will also come in handy with storing my harvest in the next season. I will also be able to comfortably cook even during the reason seasons without messing my household items with soot
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
attach_money
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 own goats and chicken which I had planned to have for a long time now. I always wanted to keep them. From the stories which I heard in our village is that they are beneficial and from the sales, many families livelihoods have changed. I know that if I feed them well, they will be able to help me accomplish most of my pending projects but having them in the first place is like a dream come true. The poultry farming which is doing well so far. Its generating more profits than I had expected. These are investments will serve me for the longest time possible and still pass it to my grandchildren. I know that I won't have any problem meeting my needs from now on.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have any new goals at the moment. I still want to concentrate on the current projects that I have already started because if I start new ones, I might end up losing a lot of money. I also believe in doing one thing at a time. Once they are stable I can now think of doing other projects.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life is owning animals. I have a calf and two goats that I bought recently using the transfers which I got from GiveDirectly. This is an investment for me because such animals will forever appreciate. They reproduce faster and require little attention. I am not good at doing business but I am glad I enjoy doing agriculture and this is why I decided to go for it. I have also ventured into poultry farming and in the last four months, I can say that I have seen progress in my projects. I plan to sell the hens in the coming months. The proceeds will help me cater to my basic needs.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I do expect my life to change so much in the next six months because my projects will have picked and I will have started enjoying the profits. I have not yet thought of starting another project because I still want to concentrate on the ones that I recently started. Poultry and animals rearing. I am passionate about doing them and I enjoy doing all the duties in this job. I feel that I should give it my best that is why I do not what to start another thing that may interfere with it.
12th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 6 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was in that, I get my monthly pay GiveDirectly. I feel that I am stable financially because I can single-handedly take care of my needs. Before, I used to borrow money from my siblings. They are the only people who understood my poverty levels well. They knew that my husband was paid very little and I had been jobless too. I always felt like a burden to my sisters but there was nothing I could do.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I do not have new goals in the next four months.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is that I feel proud of myself. I no longer stress over what I would use in case I receive visitors. I did not have big cooking pots and always borrowed from my mother-in-law which was quite embarrassing, but thanks to GiveDirectly, I now have my own. Without GD, I would not be able to afford these items considering that my husband who is employed as a caretaker earns very little and I am also a casual worker who earns less than a dollar a day.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that, I will have bought more goats. This will bring closer my dream of buying a dairy cow. The income I get from the two sources will be enough to do a lot in terms of running my family and achieving my goals. Before the end of this year, a lot will have changed because I will now have a diversified source of income. I will no longer depend on casual jobs in order to earn a living.
6th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 6 years ago
attach_money
How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
My life is currently different from how it was four months ago in that, I eat well and my health has improved.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goals in the next four months are; to expand my house since it is small and building a kitchen.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life in the last four months is that, I am less stressed of thinking where to get money to buying most of the things that I desire. I am proud that I not only depend on my meager salary to buy the things that I need.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that, I will have bought cows for milk production hence, I will be able to sell milk and get income out of it.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 7 years ago
attach_money
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
My new goal is to purchase two dairy cows for milk production or even that I can sell the offsprings later on incase of any emergency that might occur.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is currently different than it would have been if I never received the transfer in that, I could not have joined a savings group that will help me achieve my future development goals.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect my life to change in the next six months in that, I would have bought goats and sheep that I can sell later on incase of any emergency because they grow very fast hence I will have more of them.
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 the money is that, I managed to keep 500KES as savings in my new Rosca for future development plans.
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I am facing currently is lack of a stable source of income. I am now getting older and feel like I should not engage myself in casual work.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when sharing a meal with my husband as we talke about about our future plans.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I plan to spend my transfer on doing farming business. I love rearing livestock.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
The achievement I am proudest of is that through casual work I managed to build a one bedroom house.