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 don't have a new goal but just to complete the house by plastering the floor. The new house gives me a good feeling since it is of good quality and standards like those of my neighbors.
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 in the ability to save money in a merry go round group. I managed to use the money I got from the group to put up a house. I was living in a mud hut that was thatched with grass for a roof. The other house had been borrowed a house that belonged to my late grandfather. Building a better living house made of timber walls makes me proud of my achievement. I am so happy to have a good home using these transfers.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, my life will have changed because I will be living in a good house. I will have also started a shop business. I intend to build it near the road on our farm. I will stock the shop using the money I am receiving from GiveDirectly. I will be getting an income from the shop and living in a nice home.
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?
I have 20 chicken at the moment and I always feel good whenever I feed them. I feel proud because it gives me hope for a bright future. I remember I had none some months earlier before Give Directly came into my life. I was so poor to an extent where I could not even afford to buy one chicken. I believe that within a very short time the chicken will start laying eggs. I am planning to sell a few eggs and leave some for them to hatch. My target is having 100 chicken and through that, I know I will never lack anything. I will now be having a stable source of income.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
My additional goal is to add more chicken to my poultry farm. I realized chicks are on high demand. People are tired of the eggs from the Grade chicken and yearn for eggs from the traditional chicken. I believe when they start laying eggs I will earn more income which will help me venture into other income-generating activities. This will enable me to comfortably meets my goals and other responsibilities such as pay school fees for my children.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
In April we managed to buy a dairy cow. I am so happy to have bought it because I have never owned one before. It has always been my wish to buy one for a long time and I am glad I finally have the courtesy of Give Directly. I was lucky to buy a cow that was almost giving birth. I didn't take long before I started milking it as soon as I had bought it. I feel relieved financially because I do not have to buy milk. This has helped me save more money which I believe will help me start other income generating projects in future.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I know in six months time my chicken will have laid eggs. I have a plan of moving my children to a private school ones the farm start generating good profits. Since I will now have the ability to raise school fees It will be wise for me to also improve the quality of education I give to my kids. I thank Give Directly for giving me the ability to expand the poultry business because this will change my living standards. I will afford to give my family the best because my financial status will have improved.
12th 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?
My farming has greatly improved. My level of income that comes from farming has almost tripled. I started to buy chicken every month that has increased my brood to about 20. I also use the proceeds from the grocery business that I started using initial transfers. All these sources have increased my monthly earnings. Another big difference is having money to use in meeting my daily needs. I use apart of the transfers to buy foodstuffs for the household. This is easier than before when I had to rely on casual jobs which were at times no available. I always know that my family will never lack food like it used to happen whenever I missed a day's casual work.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I plan to buy a piece of land using the next savings I get from my group. We will collect our saving and jointly buy it with my husband.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in my daily life the last four month is the cow I bought using the money I get from GiveDirectly. I used the savings that I received from my merry go round group. My husband also received his savings at the same time as mine. We then jointly bought a dairy cow. I get about 4 liters of milk per day. I sell the milk and use it to pay school fees for my children. I have already bought them school uniforms that have ensured that they learn well. They used to be sent home to get school uniforms which affected their learning because of absenteeism. This has stopped since I have this income from the milk which has then helped me to meet the needs very easily.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
My life will change in the next six months because I will be having a piece of land. I will have also expanded my poultry business using a part of the next few transfers to buy some chicken every month.
5th Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time over 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 because these transfers have relieved me of household budget and soon I will buy a dairy cow.
Do you have any new or additional goals for your life for the next four months?
I am planning to expand my vegetable business and buy a dairy cow in order to increase milk production.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life in the last four months preceding the current transfer.
The biggest difference in your daily life is the assurance that I will soon buy a dairy cow through monthly merry go round contributions.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I expect to increase farm production by hiring a new piece of land and also open a shop.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
2280 KES ($23 USD)
access_time almost 7 years ago
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Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
I have a new goal to ensure that in some days coming we will be having a cow through a started family joint group where my husband and I will be members and our agenda being that we will be buying one cow after the other all round the family members.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is much different now that i own what I never had before a sheep in my family was not existing and I feel that were it not for the Give Directly money then I would not be having one.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
I see my program changing not as I expected before but much better. By six months i expect to have added up two more sheep to make three and at least owning one cow in our household.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have seen myself move a step ahead in that, at the moment I have a sheep which I never had before. This has really brought a great difference in my life and as we talk now I am confident having great hopes and trust that my future is really changing to something better.
Enrolled
access_time almost 7 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship right now is finances. Everything you plan or plan to do requires money which is abit hard to get because of inconsistent rains and we depend on farming. If i had money, it will enable me do so many things.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the evening when all the family members are back home from attending to different routine duties. This is also a time when you rest and reflect back on the day's activities and know what u did and what needs improvement.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
We are planning to start a small business(egg buying and selling) so as to substitute the little we earn from farming. Later we are planning to buy a dairy cow which will also be another source of income for the family apart from being a source if food.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
I used to do a small vegetable business afew months ago. This small business assisted me upto a point where i was able to buy a few goats that i am rearing now. I am proud of this because its not easy for anyone to do such a small business and end up buying such animals.