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?
It was late in the afternoon, and I was busy washing clothes for my family. As I hurried to finish, my phone, which I had placed on a stool next to me, beeped, signalling an incoming message. I quickly wiped my hands dry with my skirt and picked up the phone to check the message. I couldn't believe my eyes; it was a Mpesa SMS indicating that I had received $200 from GiveDirectly. I had to reread it twice to confirm what I had seen. Overjoyed, I shared the good news with my youngest daughter when she returned from school that evening. That same evening, I also sent $40 to my spouse, who was at the farm that evening, to buy petroleum for the generator to help pump water to our tomato farm for irrigation. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for the transfer!
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I received the transfers, the biggest difference has been the ability to manage our treasured investments. The transfer enabled us to irrigate our tomatoes, which we farm commercially to support our family and pay for our children's education. After losing our previous 1.5-acre tomato farm to floods, restarting was challenging and seeing our new crops wilting due to lack of rain was heartbreaking. GiveDirectly's transfer saved us by allowing us to buy petroleum for our generator to pump water for irrigation. Now, our crops are flourishing, and we expect to harvest in a month. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for helping us during our time of need.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am grateful that the transfer came when I needed it the most. Our one-and-a-half-acre farm was submerged by recent floods. Losing the farm was a painful experience, as it held so much of our hope of fending for our family of seven and paying the fees for our three children in secondary school. To salvage the situation, my spouse and I decided to sell our cow, using the proceeds to lease nearby land unaffected by the floods. When the transfer arrived, our tomatoes urgently needed water as the rain had stopped and we couldn't afford to irrigate. With the transfer, we used $40 to buy petroleum for pumping water onto the land to nourish the tomatoes. Additionally, I used $50 to pay school fees for my son in day secondary school, fulfilling a promise to the school to keep him enrolled until we could clear the term's arrears with the money from GiveDirectly. We also spent $46 on food, ensuring that we had enough to last us for a while. Furthermore, I used $10 to buy plastic utensils, as the floods had carried away all we had. We had been borrowing from a neighbor, and I was finally able to return her utensils. I kept the remaining amount aside to maintain the tomato farm.
Enrolled
access_time 4 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Following the recent floods that raged the area, I intend to spend KES 50,000 to purchase an alternative land to migrate my family into, this will help prevent future losses. I will use KES 30,000 to invest in farming (Maize), this will go into buying inputs (Land tilling, Seeds, Watering).
The remaining KES 30,000, i will use them food, household items, clothing and paying fees for my 3 secondary school children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I was happy when my Grade 8 student scored good marks that enabled her to join secondary school of her choice. As an extra county school, we are assured of her getting a good grade that can secure her a slot in university to study Engineering courses which have been her passion.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Following the recent floods experienced in the area which swept through my house, my major challenge now is lack of money to purchase an alternative land (not prone to floods) to migrate my family to.
Having lost all my investment of more than KES 300,000 on farming (tomatoes) to floods which i was depending on for both food and fees, i now do not have money for purchasing food for my family of 6 and for paying fees for my 3 secondary school children.
I am also lacking money to get back into crop farming which was being depended on by the family.
The floods swept away most of the essential household items (beddings, utensils) with few remaining not sufficient for the family use.
