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.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life.
Owning a spacious permanent house is the biggest difference in my daily life. I have been longing to build a better and more spacious house but due to my financial status, I could not afford it. My previous house was a small, old grass-thatched hut that was already in a wanting condition that it even collapsed a few weeks before I was enrolled. My properties had to stay in the open which was very insecure and we were forced to seek a place to sleep at my neighbors' and relatives' houses. This meant that my children couldn't even study. After the completion of our house, this problem was solved. I am glad that we now stay comfortable and my children have ample space and time to study. I hope they will do well in their studies.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I still remember vividly it was around 4 am when my phone started vibrating continuously. I had a sick child that night and we were all awake. My elder son decided to check who could have sent the message to me. I remember him shout " Mum its an M-Pesa message from GiveDirectly!" I was very happy and we all rejoiced and thanked God for the wonderful deeds.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer to buy building materials such as timber and iron sheets to build a new house. It was as if God was answering my prayers because a few weeks before I was enrolled, my house had collapsed because it was old. This forced us to pitch camp at my mother-in-law's house which was quite uncomfortable because it was a small house. I also bought a mattress to replace and old traditional bed and uncomfortable because of bedbug attacks. I also paid my children's school fees arrears who were on the verge of dropping out of school because of huge fees arrears and bought food and other household items with the rest.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My greatest desire in life has always been to have a spacious house for my family. Currently, we are living in a very tiny and leaking house that cannot comfortably accommodate all of us. I, therefore, intend to use part of my transfers in putting up one. This will earn me respect and dignity unlike at the moment where everyone is looking down upon me. I will also put more focus on my children's education. At the moment, I have a child who failed to secure an admission in secondary school due to lack of school fees. Again, I have others who are in primary school and this transfers will come in handy in meeting their educational needs. For the second transfers, I intend to use it in improving my small business to a level of a kiosk. At the moment, I sell silver cyprinid (commonly known as omena) and other household commodities. This will earn me a daily income that can easily meet the needs of the family and that is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My day always seem busy to me owing to the fact that, I usually spend my morning hours searching for a job and probably work if luck is on my side till afternoon. In the evening, I get much time to relax and chat with my friends. The interaction and chatting give me joy and hence, the evening is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income that can comfortably meet the needs of the family has been the biggest hardship in my life. At the moment, I struggle a lot and this has forced me to resort into other odd jobs in order to at least put food on the table. Given that the nature of these jobs is laborious, and are hard to come by, am always tired and demotivated. It was a sign of relief when I learned about the transfers that we are about to receive. This has rejuvenated our hope and we intend to spend it prudently so that our lives can be improved from the current debilitating state.
