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.
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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
53150 KES ($485 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My life is different now, in that I used my first transfer in building a house for my family, I then used my second transfer in paying school fees for my children, Life is very hard nowadays, we don't own any properties in the village, therefore I want my children to have a brighter future hence education is the only way they can have a better life, Before I was unable to accomplish all this due to unreliable income from my charcoal business, I am so grateful for the support that changed my life tremendously.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does its work well, by helping the needy in the communities, I don't see anything that is done wrongly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The school has been my major responsibility, I have Five children who are currently Schooling both in primary and secondary schools respectively, One of them had cleared his studies but was unable to collect his certificates due to the huge balance that I had not cleared up. On receiving my transfer I channelled KES 40,000 to clear the school fees arrears, it came as a relief to me, I then used the remaining KES 10,000 to pay school fees for the rest of my children.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($511 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 in the morning when I was heading to the dam together with my friends when my phone started vibrating continuously. Since I was in a hurry, I decided to proceed to the dam. I started being curious when the phone kept on vibrating and so I decided to check who it could be. Wow! I didn't believe what I saw, it was an Mpesa message that I had patiently been waiting for. Due to the joy that I had, I remember leaving my jerrican and rushes back home and shred the good news to the rest of my family members.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
For all those years that I have been in a marriage, I have been sheltering in a very small in a critical condition and I was even worried it would collapse anytime. During the rainy season, it was so hectic because we were all forced to seek shelter from neighbors and friends which was very embarrassing. Someday we could opt to be rained on till dawn because it was tiresome since our neighbors were very far from the village. As a result, children were always affected by the cold nights and they were frequently attacked with asthma and all sorts of cold-related illnesses. However, GiveDirectly bought all the joy that we have been missing for all those years. We are now in a decent house which is spacious enough to accommodate all my family members. My children also have ample space to study at night which was not possible back in the days. Therefore this makes the biggest difference in my daily life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a huge fraction of my first transfer in buying some building materials such as building poles which cost KES 8500, iron sheet at KES 22000, threads, nails at KES 1500, and several timbers. These were specifically for the construction of a new decent house because the initial one was single roomed. I also paid the mason KES 12500 as the labor charge. . Since my family is growing, some of my children used to shelter at their friends' houses. I also bought some spare parts for my bicycle which had worn out and it's now a relief to me because I no longer strain with the help of the byke. With the remaining, I bought enough foodstuffs for the family
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a new house for my family because I have desired to have a decent one, but due to financial instability, this has never been possible for me. I intend to spend $400 on the first transfer to ensure the house is complete. On the other hand, I also wish to start livestock keeping to have a project that will help my children in the future. I, therefore, intend to buy 10 goats and 1 indigenous dairy cow at $300 and $200 respectively. This will guarantee me a better livelihood since my life will automatically change for the better once I achieve my dream.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I consider the afternoon as the happiest part of my day because, at this time, I usually have returned home from work. It is at this time when I get ample time to relax unlike in the morning when I am required to be working tirelessly.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life. This is because we depend mostly on subsistence farming but due to the lack of enough rains, our area is ever dry and we can not rely again on farming. This has forced us to do very low-paying and tiresome jobs like charcoal burning to feed our family.
