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?
I was filled with anxiety while I worked on a neighbor's tomato farm, worried because some of the women I was with had received their first transfer from GiveDirectly, and I had left my phone at home charging. I couldn't stop thinking about whether I had received mine, and I couldn’t wait to finish work and rush home. As soon as I got home that evening, the first thing I did was check my phone, and I was so happy to see that I had received my transfer too. In that moment, I knew I could finally fulfill my intended plans.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
In our home, we have never owned any livestock, while almost everyone around us does, which has always made us feel left out. The dream of diversifying our income through livestock seemed impossible due to our financial constraints. However, after receiving GiveDirectly's first transfer, that dream finally became a reality. As we speak, we now have a sheep! I am hopeful that it will multiply, allowing us to sell some in the future and address arising needs like our children's school fees. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for making this change possible in our home.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We live in a one-room iron sheet house where my husband, three children, and I used to sleep together. However, as my children grew older, they started sleeping at their grandmother's house, which made me want to build them their own place. Unfortunately, our reliance on casual jobs and small-scale farming has made it difficult for us to save any extra money since we have other urgent needs to address. After receiving my first transfer, I decided to start building plans and bought five iron sheets for $10 each. I plan to buy the remaining materials from my next transfer and begin construction on my children’s room. At that time, food was a problem because our crops were destroyed by floods, and casual jobs were not frequently available. To address this, I purchased a bag of maize for $20 and other essential food items worth $50, which sustained us for almost two months. Additionally, I bought clothes for my children costing $30 because their previous clothes were worn out, and I didn’t like seeing them in torn clothing. Lastly, I know that livestock production does well in our area, especially sheep, which multiply quickly and are easy to manage. To diversify our income, I decided to buy one sheep for $50, hoping it will help us meet our needs in the future as it reproduces. Thank you, GiveDirectly, for your support.
Enrolled
access_time 3 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Our family has grown and the house is getting smaller everyday. The kids are also getting older and we need some privacy. We intend to spend about $500 to build a one roomed house, made of iron sheets. It's a decent house and can last long. This will give us more space and privacy.
Due to the difficulty in buying food, we anticipate using approximately $100 on food supplies. This should give us 2 months of food security.
The future also matters, and we intend to spend the rest of the transfers to buy goats and sheep. Buying five goats and sheep will be a good start. It can cost up to $500. The investment will be worth it, since we'll be able to get milk or sell them when they breed. Their sales will help pay for our children's education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I'm happy because we help each other with my husband, and have a healthy relationship. It brings joy knowing we always have ourselves to support one another. It means we can bring up our children well and be well mannered. This has been my strength and joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
We depend mainly on casual jobs to support our family. My husband and I are obligated to look for jobs everyday. It's hard getting jobs consistently and it affects our ability to provide fully for our family of five. Casual jobs are irregular, because of the high number of people looking for the same. The cost of food items has made it hard buying enough food for our family. We are forced to spend all our earnings which makes it hard when there are no jobs.
