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.
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($467 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am usually free most of the afternoons after I get back home from school. This has made me think of other things that I can engage in and get some money. Currently, I am planning to buy an exotic dairy cow that I will rare under the zero-grazing method. This will keep me busy in the afternoon and on weekends. In addition, I will be using money from the sale of surplus to support my family in providing for our basic needs.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
We received enough training about GiveDirectly and its program during Baraza. To me, this was the best thing they did because we got to know everything about the program before getting enrolled. In addition, all the eligible households were enrolled without any discrimination. I did not see anything that was not done well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am an ECD teacher and I had taken a loan from the bank early last year so that I would use it in building a more spacious permanent house for my family. I started the construction work in the month of February and left it incomplete after I ran short of funds. Upon receiving my transfer, I spent KES 33000 to continue with the construction work. Apart from this, I spent KES 8000 to fence my farm by buying a barbed wire and to pay for the labor since I already had enough poles and nails. Using the remaining amount, I bought some foodstuffs and clothes for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($495 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
As an Early Childhood Development and Education teacher, I was already at school when I received a message from GiveDirectly confirming the receipt of the first transfer. I was so excited that I had to pause the lesson to confirm well whether I had received the money or it was just a prank message that I sometimes receive. I was glad to know that it was indeed the amount I had been expecting from GiveDirectly over that week. This gave me a thought of revisiting the plans. I thanked God that the time to complete the construction of my house was finally with me. I had to take the next step of withdrawing the transfers from y account.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is thefaster progress of the construction work that had been on a halt for quite sometime now. I am glad that it is almost complete now that I am working on the floors and the interior furnishing that will allow me to move in with my family on completion. The little amount I had been getting from my teaching job has seen me work on this project on the previous months and I am glad that the end of the construction is drawing closer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving my first transfer, I was eager to see the construction of the house I had been working on picking again after a short halt a few months ago. I had to purchase some metallic frames that were later welded to make window frames. I also had to complete the fixing of a new drop-in sink in the kitchen since it was still missing. After the completion of all the repairs and fixing of the windows and panes, the total expenses were already at KES39700. I was also glad to put up a fence around my compound after obtaining a barbed wire at KES 5000 making it easier for me to restrain livestock and prevent them from invading my crops on the farm. With the remaining amount, I spent it on obtaining foodstuff enough to take us for the next two months.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am an ECDE teacher with less than three years to retire from the service thus I have been struggling to build a good decent spacious house to live in during my old age. Recently, I started building one but I haven't been able to complete it due to the scarce resource that has to cater for both daily household needs and this construction. To me, receiving this money means I will be able to complete my house thus I will have a good place to be proud of as I enjoy my retirement. I am planning to spend KES15000 to fence my farm since this will assure me better dairy management which in turn increases milk production for both household consumption and sales. I will use the remaining KES25000 on my basic needs mainly food clothing and daily household use.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a teacher, I always look to a new day to enjoy my time with the kids. Waking up in the morning with good health and energy is happiness thus morning is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My son was involved in a joined business with a relative in a nearby market. Until the year 2015, the business had been doing well until they both got themselves in huge loans that the business could not payback. The business went down and I was forced to settle the debt of amount KES300000 from my ECDE salary and since I couldn't afford it, I was forced to sell a piece of land to pay it off. To me, this was the biggest hardship I have ever faced in my life.
