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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($433 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I would want to open up a small business for my lovely wife, so as to be supporting me in providing for the family's basic needs. I am optimistic that I will be able to save something from my motorbike business and get capital for setting up the business.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly's work and the support we received were so helpful in numerous ways that most families are currently living a better life. Many constructed new houses and others cleared their children's school fees after receiving the money. They did everything well, and I wish the program would be back to the village after completing the other they are yet to finish. I saw nothing wrong with the entire process and am thankful I was part of the beneficiaries.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received the first transfer, I bought a motor bike but I did not manage to pay for it completely. From the second transfer I spent $100 to clear off the balance. The bike has been a great source of income for our family since on a good day, I can make at least $5-$10 from ferrying people from one place to another. I have always wanted to have my own house, thus I was able to accomplish this dream by using $400 to construct a house. This means that we now have a decent place for shelter with my family. The remaining $30 I used to purchase enough foodstuffs to sustain our family for quite sometime.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($472 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had just woken up and while I was going through my phone, I saw a message. upon reading, I saw that I had received funds from give directly. I was very ecstatic and this brightened my day. In my mind, I had two things I had been yearning to do; buying a motorcycle and building a new house. I contemplated then I saw it best to settle for the motorcycle. This will bring in more money which I would use to build a house for my family (my wife and my four-month-old baby).
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
If I compare my life then to now, I feel I am more financially stable. This has been so ever since I used the funds from give directly to buy myself a motorcycle. My daily earnings have increased from KES 50 to KES 300. I can now easily fend for my family as I also work towards raising KES 40000 to build a new two-roomed house that will be more spacious and comfortable than the one-roomed one we currently live in.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I work as a motorcyclist and often I would loan a motorcycle for work. This quite limited me because I would be required to share my daily profit with the owner. So, in a day, I would get to take home KES 50 which is barely enough to fend for my 4 four-month-old baby and wife. I also have the desire to build a decent two-room house for my family. To work towards this, I used the funds to buy myself a motorcycle that was selling at KES 60000. I managed to pay 97% and I believe soon, from the KES 300 daily profit I now make, I will get to settle the balance.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have a family of three members and it will grow shortly. We are living in a one-bedroom building which is not spacious because cooking is also done inside. Clothes turn black because of the soot. My friends rarely visit me because I have no enough house to accommodate them. It also leaks during rains season. I will build a two bedroom house , buy two beds and mattresses for the family at a cost of KES 90000. This with improve my family living standards. I will use the remaining money to buy food for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The county government of Kilifi brought relief food in our village on February 2022. My family got two 90kg bags of flour. The food will last for five months. Availability of food ni my family brought happiness and to me.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of employment is the current challenge I am facing. I used to work as a motorcyclist in 2021 and the owner sold his motorcycle rendering me jobless. Since then, it has been very hard to access another opportunity.
