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 biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life since Give Directly came into my life is that I am now hopeful in life. The financial support enabled me to buy a few goats. I am hopeful they will make me wealthier within a short period of time considering their short gestation period and the high market demand. The goats will be of great help in achieving most of my goals such as paying school fees for my children. I am hopeful that I will no longer struggle with this or even meeting my other basic needs on time.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 7 am. I was with my family, we had just finished taking our breakfast and we were relaxing and just having a good time together. Then I saw a notification message on my mobile phone. I was so much excited when I realized it was an Mpesa message from Give Directly. I remember sharing the good news to them with so much enthusiasm and joy in my face. It such a joyous moment for me and my family. Up to date my brother still makes fun of me of how kept shouting and jumping when I learned about the good news
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a few building materials. I managed to buy sand and a few bags of cement. I am planning to renovate my house. I wanted it to be plastered since it was semi-permanent and could not last long. Apart from that, I also bought a few pieces of iron sheets and some building poles for constructing a kitchen. In addition to that, I also bought a few goats. I then cleared school fees for my son who is college. At least this year he will study without distractions. I also bought a bicycle which is now helping me with fetching water from a dam that is miles away from where I live. I also cleared my hospital bill that had accumulated for a while. I bought sufficient foodstuffs for my family that would take us for some few months with the remaining amount of money
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Imagine living in a house where someone has tried to break into several times. This is because there are open spaces at the top part of the walls and the door is damaged. I fear for my security and this means I will have to repair it once I receive this transfer. I will also clear college fees for my daughter who is pursuing a tailoring course. Since she is almost winding up, i will purchase her a sewing machine and all other necessities required to start a dress making shop. This will enable her to take care of herself and also support me since I am unable to work properly due to a medical condition.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I do not get adequate sleep at night because my knee pains get worse during this time. In the morning, the pain eases but I get busy with farm work. However, in the afternoon after taking lunch, I sleep to compensate for the entire night and this makes it the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The left part of my body got weaker after I suffered stroke. As if this is not enough, I experience frequent pains on my right knee. This has made me economically unproductive since I cannot undertake income generating activities. Subsistence farming being my only source of livelihood is unreliable because of inadequate rainfall. I therefore depend on my children but their support is not consistent since they do not have stable jobs. I can therefore say, financial constraint is my biggest hardship which is as a result of not being able to fend for myself.
