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 can vividly recall that I was startled by a message ringtone beep when I was at home taking a nap. Since I was not expecting any message or a call from anyone, I was not in a hurry to check. On second thought, I decided to check what the message entailed. That was when I realised that I had received a sum of KES 55,000. I was overwhelmed with happiness. I knew that I would be able to purchase a dairy cow just as I had planned. I am so grateful for the transfer that gave us the opportunity for us to change our lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Owning a cow is a dream come true, This has been my goal for a long period now but I was unable to afford one due to financial constraints. I am glad that I have easily arrived at this goal with ease, thanks to the unconditional transfer from GiveDirectly. Secondly, my children are all settled in school therefore, I will have peace of mind because I will no longer worry about how or where to borrow money anytime time soo. I am so grateful for the support that has lifted my living standards highly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a local businessman engaged in buying and selling chicken within and outside the village. I am married and together we are blessed with eight children. When I received my money I opted to buy a dairy cow worth KES 40,000 to reduce the cost of buying milk daily and also to be able to earn an income from selling milk. This is because we have been buying milk daily which is expensive yet I don't have a reliable source of income. I was unable to afford one before due to financial constraints as a result of school fees responsibilities. I then used KES 10,000 on paying school fees for my children. Lastly, I bought foodstuffs with the remaining amount of the transfer. I am so grateful for the milestones that I have achieved in a short period.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will improve my home by building a new house. As you can see, I live in only one house, sharing a sleeping place with my grown up children. If I manage to put it up, my children will no longer have to go to neighbours for accommodation. I will use about KES 30,000 to put up an iron roofed house that will be more spacious than this grass thatched hut. I will then buy a dairy cow at about KES 40,000. It will be an immediate source of income which will relief me from the daily suffering due to lack of food for the household. I earn a living by making and selling some sticks that people need for various reasons including herding thier animals. I make only about 300 per week , quite insufficient to provide food for the household.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I experinced the greatest joy of my life when I recently heard about the news that GiveDirectly would finally be in my village! I am happy that I have a lifetime opportunity that I will use to pull my family out of poverty. Having a source of income in the dairy cow farming will give us more stable and higher income ,meaning that we will be able to meet our basic needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food insecurity is the biggest challange in my household. For a long time, producing food has been a problem for me because I live on a small piece of land. Additionally, food crops have been performing poorly because of many issues including the outbreak of a maize lethal necrosis disease. Relying on a small business where my spouse and I earn about KES 600 combined has proven to be inadequate.
