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 save my transfers to pay for my college fees. This will assist me in furthering my education. Besides that, I am looking forward to starting poultry keeping. This will boost my income and support my family members.
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 have been able to finish my high school education with ease and I have joined college. This was an impossible mission if it were not to GD's unconditional transfers. Besides that, I was also able to build a house and I no longer have to spend at my cousin's place again unless if it a sleepover.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I am hopeful I will have cleared my school fees and even paid for my exams. Initially, my parents used to struggle to ensure my school fees was settled. They had to do two jobs to meet the household needs as well as support my siblings. It was a hand to mouth lifestyle but as we speak the burden they carried on their shoulder has been reduced. The poultry project will be up and running hopefully. This will help ease the financial burden.
16th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($22 USD)
access_time almost 5 years ago
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Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My goal is to continue with my college education and help my mother repay the pending loan that she took to pay my school fees.
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 am able to help my mother repay the loan that she took for my school fees. When I got a chance to join college, my parents did not have enough money to pay my college fees. She was, therefore, forced to borrow some money for this purpose. She has been repaying the loan for a while and now. Using the transfers that I receive on a monthly basis, I am able to help her repay the loan using part of the transfer. The transfers also help me meet some of my school requirements since they are sent on a regular basis.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I am planning to start an income-generating income. This idea came after I visited a friend of mine who is running a poultry project. I got a few ideas on how to do it and since its not an intensive work, I would start it and let my mother run it while I am away studying. My expectation, therefore, is to have this project running. The proceeds from this project will help me with my school fees and other requirements and also have an asset under my name. Rich people are made of such, and that is what I intend to be!
12th 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?
Having grown into a young adult, I could not sleep under the same roof with my parents but since I was not lucky enough to have my parents build me a separate house, I had to seek a sleeping place from my cousin's house. I have been doing this for a while now and I felt that I have overstayed my stay. The difference in my life, therefore, is that I will soon be moving into my own newly built house once I am done fixing the windows.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I recently received an admission letter to join a tertiary institution. Unfortunately, my parents are not in a position to fully fund my education. My goal right now is to ensure that I start saving part or whole of the monthly transfers that I receive towards bridging the gap that will remain after paying what my parents can afford.
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 preceding the current transfer is that I have been able to build my own house, though not complete, but in the process of finishing it up. I was able to achieve this by buying some bits of building materials every time I received the monthly transfers from Give Directly. I have always wanted to build and live in my own house but lack of finances to do this has been a big hindrance. I am a grown man and staying with my parents all this while is getting quite uncomfortable. I am glad that I am almost done building and the only thing remaining is fixing the windows. I am happy that my desire of owning my own house is closely coming into fruition.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My expectation in the next six months is to have saved some good amount of money for my school fees and hopefully, I would have enrolled and continue with schooling. This will be a step towards achieving my life's dream of going to college so that I can later have a good and fulfilling life ahead.
8th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 5 years ago
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How is your life currently different from how it was four months ago?
Having recently got to be engaged as a shopkeeper, I got the money for personal use and the money which I get from GD I do save part of it so that I spend when I join college.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My new goal is to further my studies by joining a college in May. I would request my parents to acquire a loan so that we can repay monthly when we receive the transfer from GD.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my life is that now I have built a new house. I recently graduated from high school and that I had saved the monthly transfer through merry-go-round. In December it was my turn to receive money and manage to collect KES 6300 which I spend to buy building materials. Now my house is almost complete and this has brought happiness to me. I cound't believe this would happen anytime soon as I recently graduated from High school and had no job.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I have always been yearning to join college and believe in the next six months I would have joined. My parents had struggled to see me through high school and I hope that the money which I get will support me through my college.
4th Payment
Transfer Amount
4560 KES ($45 USD)
access_time 6 years ago
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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 payments from GiveDirectly is the merry go round that I joined. I taking like a saving plan for my future plan. This always gives me hope that I will soon see my dreams come true.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months to come, I expect my life to have changed in that I have a calf and will have built have my own house.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life currently different from how it would have been if I had never received the transfer in that I am emporwered to do my own work, I am indepent and I have security for my personal needs with the help of monthly transfers.
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
The new goal that I have gotten money that I didn't before receiving the transfer is to build a build 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 ever experienced was lack of school fees especially when I was joining secondary school. This led to delay in entering form one and I largely missed the whole first term. So, I had to try as much as possible to catch up with my colleagues and this largely contributed to my dismal performance in my end of term examination.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I wake up in the morning and giving thanks to the Almighty God for enabling me see another new day.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to spend my transfer on constructing a poultry unit and largely venturing into poultry farming.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
Passing my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and joining my dream school for me is the greatest achievement I am proudest of. As a result, my dream of one day becoming a teacher is still on course.