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 ($432 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?
Recently, I planted beans on a big piece of land and I am looking forward to harvest in February next year. Hopefully, I will get some good harvest and this means that I will be able to pay school fees balance for my son who will be joining high school next year.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
What GiveDirectly does well is uplifting the less fortunate through giving them unconditional cash transfers. By so doing, some people have been able to start small businesses and buy livestock which has helped them achieve financial independence.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a father of two children and I own a local butchery that earns me approximately $100 per month. With this income I have never been able to build a bigger and better house for my family because its not even enough for education and basic needs. With the second transfer, I was able to construct a single room of iron sheets worth $200 that I moved in with my wife and left the one that we were sharing with the children for them. We all now enjoy our space and privacy. I spend the balance to expand my business and I'm happy that it is doing better and earning me a higher income.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($471 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 7 am, I was still taking my breakfast when I heard a message notification tone from my phone. When I checked it out, I felt so happy because it was a message confirming that I have received money from GiveDirectly. This was one of the happiest mornings I have ever had in my entire life. I am so grateful for the support because this was the highest amount I have ever received. I prepared and went to withdraw the money the same day. I knew I would be able to buy a dairy cow. This was one of my main focuses at that time.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have purchased a dairy cow. I always incur the daily cost of buying milk for my family. It is so costly since I do not have a continuous source of income apart from the farming and small business that I run in town. These activities ern me with some income and I was not able to invest in the dairy keeping project since I had a lot of needs to meet for the family. Purchasing a dairy cow was always one of my main focuses. When I received the transfer I felt so happy and we decided as a family to buy a dairy cow. Currently, we no longer buy milk like before. We can save the money that we could have used to buy milk for other basic household items. My children no longer miss having milk and this is so amazing for me. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has improved our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend KES 38,000 on purchasing a dairy cow. This was because I used to buy milk daily and this was so demoralizing and stressful especially when I do not have the money. Currently, I have peace of mind since I no longer incur that daily cost of buying milk. I am so grateful for the support. I used part of the money to plow my farm and bought seeds. I was able to plant at the right season and o know I would be able to get a good harvest this season. I added the stock to my business of Butchery that o ran in town. the rest of the money I spend on food and clothes for my children. I am so happy because all this could not have been possible without the support from GiveDirectly.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My ambition of expanding my butchery enterprise has been in limbo due to inadequate capital. With this money, I see light at the end of the tunnel. I will inject KES 40,000 into my business. This will enable me to generate more income for my family and thus avoid the financial challenges that I am going through. This will make me feel happy now that my family will live a better life. Currently, I earn about KES 1,0000 daily from my business which is not enough for us. I buy milk to feed my family which has made our cost of living high and most of our family income goes to food and buying milk. To mitigate this, I will consider buying a dairy cow with KES 30000 to enable us to produce our milk.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I earn a profit of KES 1,000 from my butchery business. With this money, I can buy food for my family. This makes me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am struggling to put food on the table for my family with my little income of about KES 1,000 daily. This makes my life harder as I work best to provide for them. I feel sad now that I am the sole breadwinner and I can not give them a better life.
