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?
While asleep, I heard a message tone from my phone but I ignored it since I do not know how to read. In the morning when I woke up, I picked on my daily morning chores and forgot about the message till 9 am when I remembered. I requested my helper to check for me what kind of message it was. When he checked, he looked straight into my eyes and smiled before breaking the news that it was the first transfer of $550 from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with happiness for receiving the money. I tried to hold back and not attract the attention of other people but I was unable to; I ululated in happiness.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The main differences that were brought by the transfer from my previous way of living are accommodation and access to food. Although I am still living in someone's house I am optimistic about shifting to my house soon because it is almost complete. This has made me earn respect as well as confidence because I own a house even though it is incomplete.
Initially, we used to struggle to get some food. At some point, we had to go for up to two days a week without meals. As of now, this has become history since the time I received a transfer from GiveDirectly. As a family, we have been getting our meals comfortably unlike before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
By the time I received the first transfer, I had already planned on building a new spacious house because the one I had was very small and on the verge of collapsing. therefore, I bought 22 pieces of iron sheets, five ridges, and roofing nails. The cost of the roofing materials was $229. I also bought 600 rafters for $30 and the labor charge of the contract plus the cost of building poles was $134. Currently, I am a happy woman because I know very soon my house will be ready since the remaining section to be fixed is the roof. As of now, I sleep in my mom's house though it is always uncomfortable to be in someone's house. You lack confidence and authority in the house. After that, I bought a cow so that I could start raring livestock at my home and used the remaining amount in buying food. Hunger was a challenging factor since we have been without rain for the last three farming seasons.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house roof was damaged during heavy rains a couple of weeks ago. It was made of grasses which were rare to get since the sunny weather we were experiencing in this area. My ambition was to construct a new two-bedroom house with the first transfers, one for the girls and the other for my four boys. I will use the second transfer to seek ulcer treatment that sometimes hinders me from working to feed my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For the past six months have been noticed the persistent progress of my sickness. Most of the time I wasn't able to move out of the bed due to the pain but for now, I can even work and earn something which gives me joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The burden of taking care of my kids is the most challenging part of my life considering that I am unwell. I separated from my husband twelve years ago and decided to come to my parent's home. Since then my life changed completely, I started to hustle to feed my children by working as house help in a nearby town, something that was inexperienced to me. Two years later I was diagnosed with an ulcer which persisted to an extent that I had to stop working and come back home to seek medication. I was really sad I didn't know what to do to feed my family since I had no one to take care of them. I have nursed the ulcers for a long now, I hope one day will be cured and get back to my normal life.
