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
55000 KES ($458 USD)
access_time over 1 year ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am a single parent and I have two children where one is in high school and the other one is in primary school. When I got financial aid from GiveDirectly, I started up a second-hand clothes business that has been helping me to buy food for my family and pay school fees for my children. My life changed a lot as I now have a reliable source of income, unlike before when I use to depend on casual jobs which were not paying well. My new goal is to expand the business so that I can earn more profits can invest in and educate my children with less struggle.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I am happy that GiveDirectly gave us nonrefundable money. Unlike other organizations, GiveDirectly never specifies to us what to spend on and that's what I love about it. There is nothing that this organization never did well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the second transfer which I received from GiveDirectly, I spent a large portion on buying school supplies and paying school fees for my child who was joining high school. The money eased my burden and I am so happy that I was part of this amazing project. The remaining amount, I spent on buying foodstuffs and some furniture for our home.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($475 USD)
access_time almost 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was 7:30 am and I was still in my bed sleeping. I wanted to wake up when suddenly I heard my phone ringing notifying me of a new message. I reached out for my phone from where I had placed it and I unlocked it to check what the SMS was all about. I was surprised when I read the SMS which was saying that I had received KES 55000 that GiveDirectly had promised us. I was so happy that immediately jumped out of my bed with joy. I thanked God and GiveDirectly for the blessing.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a very big difference in my life and that of my family. I managed to buy a calf, new clothes for the children, and maize for our consumption which is going to push us for a while. I have thus managed to rest without worrying about what my children are going to eat. I am still weak since I was recently discharged from the hospital and hence I have not yet managed to do heavy work such as that of casual labor of farming that I usually engage in at times to earn a living for my children.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When the transfer was sent, one of my sons had forcefully gone and underwent the circumcision ceremony. I didn't have money at the time for paying the person who was going to take care of them since I had just been discharged from the hospital and I didn't have any money with me. I was thus glad and grateful when GiveDirectly sent us the money. I hence took KES 10000 and I paid the person who was going to take care of them. We didn't have food in the house, so I took KES 12000 and I bought three bags of maize for our consumption. I then bought a calf at KES 10000. We didn't have a cow of our own and hence we have been incurring the cost of buying milk. I hence bought the calf so that in the future we can have a source of milk for our consumption when it calves. Other than that, I also spent KES 15000 on paying off a debt that I owed someone. I had borrowed some money from him that I used in treating myself. With the remaining transfer amount, I used KES 3000 on buying clothes and shoes for my son who underwent the circumcision ceremony and another KES 5000 on buying clothes for the other children. I am thus so much grateful to GiveDirectly because I would not have managed to do all this without their support.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a single mother of 2, a boy and a girl. I fend for them alone, which means I have to work extra hard to be able to meet their needs. I am a business lady dealing on second-hand clothes, the business has sustained me for some time now. However, last year in December I felt sick and underwent an operation at Longisa Hospital, I had an ectopic pregnancy and so the pregnancy had to be terminated through surgery. That was the lowest moment of my life, I used all my capital and savings for the operation, home care, and reviews. The operation cost me KES 35000. This grounded my business and now lacks the capital to resume on the business. As I was pondering where to find the capital Give Directly came in, there is no perfect time such as this, I intend to use KES 25000 to start the business again and use the remaining amount to buy a cow.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My poultry farming has been doing well, it has given me a lot of happiness since it has sustained us for the time I have been sick. They are laying eggs and I sell them to get disposable income for use. On a daily basis I get up to KES 300 from the sale of eggs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I underwent an operation and am now on the road to recovery. I have not healed well and as such, I cannot engage in any meaningful economic activity, I only do light duties. In my situation, I cannot do farming and mark you my children depend on me to provide them with food. It is a real challenge since I do not live a normal life like before. Even doing house chores is a struggle.
