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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I've been struggling with housing for years, living in a small house with a leaking roof. I have nine children who did not have a place to stay because I couldn't accommodate them in our house, so they had to seek shelter in the neighborhood. Due to my financial situation, I couldn't save enough money to build a decent house, and a spacious house was impossible for us. I don't have any income to allow me to save enough to buy necessary materials like iron sheets. My husband does casual construction jobs and is the breadwinner, but most of his earnings go to food and the children's education, so saving to build a house was out of the question. We lost hope of upgrading to a better house while the children had no choice but to continue sleeping in the neighborhood with friends. However, I am grateful to GiveDirectly for sending the financial support that empowered me to build a spacious and decent iron-roofed house. I used the support to buy necessary building materials, including 24 iron sheets, building poles, nails, and timber and built the house. This would have taken us years to accomplish without the transfers, and I am thankful for the help. Currently, my family and I enjoy decent shelter, and I am at peace knowing that even when it rains, we are safe along with our belongings.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
My previous house was small and couldn't accommodate all of my children. Some of them had to live with neighbors because of the lack of space. Additionally, the house was in bad shape, with a dilapidated roof that leaked during heavy rains, damaging some of my belongings. I couldn't afford to renovate or build a new house. However, with recent financial help, I prioritized building a new house with a good iron roof. I bought the necessary building materials including 24 iron sheets, building poles, nails, and timber, and paid the mason for his work. I'm now at peace knowing that I no longer have to face those challenges, and I don't have to worry about the rains anymore.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was at home in the evening, resting after gathering firewood in the forest for domestic use when I received a notification on my phone. Feeling very tired, I didn't immediately check to see what the message was. It wasn't until my son came home from school and checked my messages that he exclaimed there was an M-Pesa notification. I got up to verify this, as I wasn't expecting money from anyone, not even a family member. Upon confirming, I was overjoyed to find out that I had received my first transfer. I couldn't contain my happiness, and I celebrated with my children. The idea that I could now build a new house, as the old one was in bad shape, made me smile non-stop.
Enrolled
access_time 5 months ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Housing is the current challenge I am facing in life. I have a family of eleven members and all live in a two room house without bedding. Two of the children seek shelter from neighbors. This is very risky for a girl child to walk alone over night looking for a shelter. I lack the capacity to build a spacious house to accommodate all the family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My husband and I do casual jobs earning little income which caters mostly for food and school fees. Sometimes it can take us a whole month without any job for either of us. This makes the family go without food. However, last year in October, we received rain and planted maize crops on my eight acre piece of land and harvested $13 bags of maize each 90 kg. The food will sustain the family for the whole year. The harvest brought happiness in my life.
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I have a family of 11 members and all live in a two room house without bedding. We sleep on the floor and some of the children seek shelter from neighbors. This is very risky for a girl child to walk at night alone looking for the shelter. I'm really bad about it but lack the capacity to build a spacious house for the family. My husband and I do casual jobs earning little income that caters for food and school fees for the children. I will use $600 to build a two room house with iron sheet roof to accommodate all the family members. This will restore my dignity in the community. I will also use $300 to clear all fees balances and make prepayments for the children.
