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 since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life since I started receiving these transfers is that I have a new iron-roofed house. I used to live in a grass thatched house which was too small and could not accommodate my family well. Anytime my daughters came back to visit me, they would have to look for where to sleep because my house could not accommodate us all. I had desired to build a new house but due to my low income from sardines business and casual work, I was not able to build one. The little I tried to save, I had used up on other family needs such as medication and school fees. I was starting to give up on having an iron-roofed house until GD came to my life.
How do you expect your life to change in the next six months?
In the next six months, I want to boost my sardines business and make it a hotel business. I know with this, I will have a stable source of income to sustain my family needs. I would not want to go back to casual work again. Through this, I will always pay school fees for my children promptly.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
The other difference is that I have new household items such as utensils and bedding. Before the transfers, I used to beg for utensils from my neighbours whenever I had visitors in my house. I would have to pay double any item I broke when I borrowed. My bedding was old and torn and this would cause me sleepless nights. I would strain especially during the rainy seasons to sleep. I thank GD because of the transfers, I no longer beg for utensils and I have new bedding. I sleep comfortably and times, my friends come borrowing from me.
Do you have any new goals that you didn't have before receiving the transfer?
In the next four months, I wish to buy a cow. This will be an investment for my family and can later sell the offsprings to raise money to pay school fees or boost my sardines business so that I can have a stable source of income. This will help me sustain my family needs in time without much struggles as before.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship am faced with is feeding my children from the megre earnings from my small scale fish business and the little farm I have can hardly produce enough food for us.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am happiest in the evening while home cooking and charting with my children. Having food to give to my children causes the excitement since life is such a real hustle within these hard economic times.
What are you planning to spend your transfer on?
I am planning to use the cash transfer to buy a cow since that would be a secure means of saving for any emergency in the family since my husband died leaving us without any investment.
What is the achievement you are proudest of?
My proudest achievement was building my home since I had suffered a lot when the house where my husband died and left us in collapsed and I was regarded ritually unclean by our culture.
