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 moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The planting season is near approaching, most of us depend on our farms to earn a livelihood, therefore, when I received my transfer I was at the farm, that was when I heard my phone vibrating loudly in my pocket, upon checking, I saw a Mpesa notification showing that I had received a sum of KES 55000 from GiveDirectly, the news was breathtaking, I could not hide my joy, I then informed my spouse, he too was equally happy and excited, we knew that we would be able to put the money to good use.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I had a cow before, unfortunately, it died, I had no choice but to buy milk daily for our daily consumption, which is expensive, therefore, the biggest difference today is that I now own a cow and I am hopeful that soon I will be having a surplus of milk, not forgetting that my children would not be sent home to collect school fees, I am grateful for the transfer that opened our minds and gave us the opportunity for us to better our lives.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
The excitement was immense upon receiving our transfer, I am a mother of three and a farmer, my husband works at a welding shop, the transfer came at the right time of need, this is because I was supposed to pay the school fees of my children, I then decided to use KES 25,000 for school fees, I then started a business where I used capital of KES 3000, in addition to that I bought a dairy cow worth KES 15,000 to cut down the cost of milk daily. I am happy that everything went well the way my husband and I planned.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I can acquire a source of income by buying a dairy cow. I depend on subsistence farming, growing crops only for food in my household. I do not contribute towards my children's education, a responsibility that falls on my husband's shoulders, alongside providing for us. It is too much for one person to do it, given that he works as a welder in a fabrication shop. He earns about KES 2500 per month, insufficient to cater for us. I will spend about KES 40,000 to start keeping a cow. I hope to be earning about KES 2500 per month. This will go a long way in the education of my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning has always been the happiest part of my day. Not long ago,I used to own a cow, but I recently sold it because my first born was starting her education in a boarding school. I would wake up as early as 6:00 am everyday. I enjoy having this opportunity to better my family by working hard to feed my cow and in the end ,have milk for my family and an income of about KES 300 from selling part of it.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship that I currently face is lack of income . I am just a house wife ,only doing subsistence farming for food in my household. I wish I could do more to support my husband in paying school fees for my first born, now in a baby class. I will feel important in this household, when I get a cow, from wich I will earn money to pay school fees.This way, I will take part in raising my children. I can only do this using GiveDirectly transfers that are just about to be send to me.
