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?
It was an early morning when I realized my phone had no power, so I took it to the nearby trading center for charging. Later in the evening I went for it and upon switching on the phone the 1st message that popped was the transfer message from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and somehow tensed and confused not knowing what to do since I hadn’t received such amount of money at once in my life. I didn’t tell anyone that I have received the money for a whole month. And at that time I was using my little savings which I had.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Initially we were going through tough times. My husband used to provide for the family needs through his little earnings from his business of making and selling charcoal but due to his old age he can no longer do hard jobs that require a lot of strength. In relation to that situation I had to start looking for some domestic jobs from neighbors to fend for the family. But since the time we received the transfer, our lives have positively changed. We now sleep at a comfortable place not like before when we were sleeping on some timbers. Our food security is also taken care of not as before when we were full of worries not knowing what the next meal would be. We also have an alternative piece of land to do our subsistence farming since the plot we were relying on is over used and it’s no longer productive.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For a while, I have been sleeping on some pieces of timber and sometimes on plywood. On receiving the money the first objective I thought of accomplishing was to get a nice place to sleep on, hence I bought a mattress worthy KES 5000.00. on the very day when I was at the shopping center purchasing the mattress, I also bought a sack of maize for KES 3,000.00 because I had no food at home since I had exhausted all my savings and also set aside KES 2000.00 for school fees for my 3 children . One is in class 5 and the other 2 are in class 4. On returning home, I figured out how I was going to spend the rest of the money and I opted to but an alternative plot of land for my subsistence farming. The plot was being sold at KES 50,000.00 but I didn’t want to remain without something to sustain me so I paid half of the required price and promised to pay the balance later.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a drastic change of my life! I will spend 20,000 shillings to buy food stock for my family because we are experiencing food shortage after several seasons without harvesting.I will spend another 20'000 shillings to buy new beddings- 2mattresses, and 2 new beds .I will buy 4 goats which may cost me 20'000 shillings as a source of wealthy for my family and I will keep the rest amount for my children's education and for an emergency cases.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is during the evening after we have eaten super together with my family.If everyone has got super and ready to sleep, I thank God that my family is happy and safe that day! That is the time I am also very happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have been starving with my family for long but the worst time is in the year 2020 from March to May , during the emergency of covid -19 pandemic when my son was chased away from his casual job in mtwapa town , the whole family was depending on him for food in the house and when he was chased from his job, I passed a situation which I will never forget in my life.
