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 am a mother of six children who does not have a stable job but rely on working on people's farms and making charcoal for sell. On that day, my children and I were eating lunch at home when my phone buzzed. Since I never went to school and can't read, I requested that my child read the message for me. He informed me that GiveDirectly had sent a mobile money notification and we were thrilled and thanked God for answering our prayers. We had never experienced such happiness in our lives before and It felt like a door had been opened into our lives. I informed my husband, who works in a different town from our home, of the wonderful news right away. My first concern was our house's grass roofing, which needed some serious repairs because it was in such horrible shape and the heavy rains were coming; thus, we did not want to be rained on or the rains leaking to the walls and completely collapsing the house.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
We can now sleep peacefully without the fear of our house collapsing on us because we managed to fix it with the help of GiveDirectly. My family is happy and excited to be in a decent house. My husband and I can now work, earn, and focus our earnings on developmental projects like starting a vegetable vendor business, which will help with family upkeep instead of focusing on repairing the house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Because our house needed thorough repairs, I spent $400 of the transfer on repairing our house, whose roofing was in a very bad state, and we did not want the rain to destroy our house. With the heavy rains going on, it was difficult for me to work on people's farms and even burn charcoal. With this happening, it was hard for me to earn money for food and upkeep. I therefore spent the remainder of the transfer, $150, to buy food and family upkeep.
Enrolled
access_time 1 year ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I am a mother of five doing casual jobs for survival earning approximately $20 per month which caters for food and school fees. My husband also works as a casual labor making approximately $30 per month. My four children are schooling and they have a collective fees balance of $300. This has made the first son to drop out of school. I will use $600 to clear the balance and also make a prepayment so that the children can settle at school. The family lives in a one room house with a grass roof which is half covered. The house also lacks beddings and we sleep on the floor. I will use $400 to change my house from grass to iron sheet roof and buy beddings. I will also add one room so as to make it more spacious .
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband does casual jobs at Kwale county and he rarely come home. In September he came home for two weeks and brought us shopping. I really enjoyed his presence and also appreciated the shopping. His presence made me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Housing is the challenge I am currently facing in life. I am a mother of five and live in one room house with a grass roof which is half covered. It leaks during rain season and the house lacks beddings. I sleep on the floor with the children and I have developed skin problems because of sleeping on the floor.
