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 ($511 USD)
access_time almost 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 than how it would have been if I never received the transfers in that I have paid school fees for my children in various schools. They used to be sent home to collect the school fees and this was affecting their performance since lessons were on going. I do not have a continuous source of income, I depend on small scale farming and casual jobs in the village to earn an income to meet other basic household needs including paying school fees for my children. At some point I could get a fundraiser from my family friends and relatives.When I received the second transfer I paid all the fees arreas. My children are no longer sent home to collect the school fees and this has improved their performance. I am so happy because GiveDirectly has given me peace of mind to do my daily activities without any stress. I am so grateful for the support.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion GiveDirectly does well by giving money to the poor in the community to build better houses and to buy dairy cows. I do not find anything that GiveDirectly did not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spend part of the money I received from GiveDirectly on paying school fees for my children in various schools. They used to be sent home to collect the school fees and this was affecting their performance. I also spend part of the money to complete the construction of my house that I had started using the previous transfer. Finally I bought food for the family because we didn't had enough in store during that time.I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standard.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
55000 KES ($499 USD)
access_time over 3 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home when I received the SMS saying that I had received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I was filled with happiness and I immediately informed my children of the good news. They were so happy too and we all celebrated and thanked God and GiveDirectly for making it happen.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
This money is going to bring a lot of difference to my family. When I finish fencing the land, I will be able to plant crops in it without worrying that the neighbors’ cows will eat them. This way, there will no longer be any arguments between us. I can get a good harvest from the crops, that I can sell and get some money. My family too will have enough food for them to eat. I will also take care of the calf that I bought and when it reproduces, I will be able to get milk that my family can consume and I will sell some. The money that I get from the sales, will enable me to pay school fees for my children. I have also always wanted to build another house for my family since the one that we are living in, we have been living in it for a very long time and it has become old. With this transfer, I will be able to build one for them, and hence we will have a nicer place to stay in. Thank you GiveDirectly for helping us, may God bless you so much.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The money from GiveDirectly has been of great help to my family. I bought a calf with part of the transfer. I also plan to buy two barbed wires that I will use in fencing a land that I till. I am also currently building another house for my family, and I also used part of the transfer in paying a debt that I owed someone. I had borrowed the money so that I could pay for my child’s school fees who currently is in school. I also bought food for my family and if some money remains, I plan to use it on buying clothes for my children. I have always had the desire to do these things but due to money problems, I have not been able to. I usually do farming and casual jobs to earn money. This money that I get usually goes to the payment of school fees for my children and buying basic needs such as food. Thank you GiveDirectly for making my dreams come true.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I shall afford to purchase some cattle. Owning some cattle is invaluable to us because they will act as a source of income and food for our family. As a widow, life has been very tough because I do not have any reliable source of income yet I am obliged to accomplish all the responsibilities of parents. Since I inherited some reasonable size of land from my husband's family, I have been dreaming of buying and raising cattle to raise the wealth of my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As the sole breadwinner of my family, the happiest part of my day is in the morning when I am handling some jobs either on my farm or in my neighborhood. This means that my family shall have some income or other benefits that would be used for developmental projects as well as meeting our basic needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband drowned in the year 2000 when our children were still young. Accordingly, our family life became more challenging because I was left with every responsibility of providing, feeding, caring, and educating my children yet I am just a peasant farmer without any other source of income. Precisely, I had to rely mainly on fundraising events to raise school fees for my children. Luckily, some of the children have successfully accomplished their studies and are yet to secure some jobs, while others are still pursuing their courses. Unfortunately, some were forced to drop out of school before attaining their desired levels of studies. Hence, losing my husband while my children were still young serves as the biggest hardship I have faced in life.
