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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I am Tenneh Sherman from Beh town, Bomi County Liberia. Since I started receiving cash transfer from Givedirectly, I decided to build my own house and continue payment of my kids school fees. I still have the same goals because I have the opportunity to achieve it through the cash transfer.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Givedirectly Staffs don't request gift from people nor accept gift from anyone and they are very effective in doing their Jobs. I am not aware of any that Givedirectly didn't do well in this village. I am the happiest of all in this village and want to extend thanks to Givedirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought two pickup loads of sand, two bundles of zinc, and six bags of cement. I use my first and second cash transfer to buy hundred pieces of bricks, four pickup loads of sand, seven bags of cement and did payment of my kids semester tuition.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
42500 LRD ($279 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My main goal is to fix my house and make it more beautiful, my house was built by my parents over 40 years ago and I inherited it from them since they are already dead. When it is fixed, I can comfortably give it to my own children for their inheritance as well. I also want to invest in a business that can generate more money for my family.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by making sure that recipients receive their transfer and help by to settling any problem that might cause the recipient not to receive the transfer, I also love the unconditional way of giving from GiveDirectly, they are kind in their approaches with their recipients. I have not noticed any wrong thing about GiveDirectly yet.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I want to use my second transfer to buy some building materials for my house project, I will also pay some of my children school fees and buy food with the remaining amount.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
40375 LRD ($272 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
When I received my transfer I was happy, because I was thinking about all the good things I can do with my transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I received my transfer I been taking care of my family needs
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I'm planning on building my own house
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
If I am bless to receive cash transfer from Givedirectly, I intend to start a business to support my children in school because they don't have a father to shoulder their education responsibility anymore and use the remaining to repair my house. Since my husband passed off in 2017, I have been the only sole provider for the children with no one else to help. Even though I am doing small business, that is, I buy coal and take it to Monrovia to sell that help me generates small profit to cater to the children school, but it's not enough to pay school fees and buy food for the family. This made it possible for the children to stay in school but David Sherman, my first son graduated from high school since 2007 and started college before their father demise. He was forced to dropped out of college so that the little income I generate from the business can be used for his younger siblings tuition fees. Expanding the business has been my greatest desires, but due to the lack of money I am unable to expand the business, and that should any losses comes as a result of fall in prices, it will greatly affect me and the children. Any kind of assistance that Givedirectly can provide me that will help improve me and my family lives will be highly appreciated.
What is the happiest part of your day?
What makes me happy in the past six months is when I took seven bags of fufu to sell in the Sass Town market on the last Wednesday of September and that they all got sold for $1,200.00 Liberian dollars each which gave me the total of $8,400.00 Liberian dollars cash. Part of the money was sent to the children in Monrovia while the remaining stay with me to buy food for the family. This made me happy because my children needed money to pay school fees and that I had no money on me at the time except the fufu goods I had to take to the market. There were many people selling fufu that day cheaper than mine, but all of my fufu was sold exactly as I wanted it. It made me very happy that I was able to meet my children needs and at the same time provide food for the family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship facing me now is money to pay for my children school fees and fix my house. It breaks my heart to see that my children are struggling with their education because when their father was still alive, they never had to struggling to go to school. Even though I am doing small business, that is, I buy coal and take it to Monrovia to sell that help me generates small profit to cater to the children school, but it's not enough to pay school fees and buy food for the family. Expanding the business has been my greatest desires, but due to the lack of money I am unable to expand the business, and that should any losses comes as a result of fall in prices, it will greatly affect me and the children. Any kind of assistance that Givedirectly can provide me that will help improve me and my family lives will be highly appreciated.
