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 was at home sleeping when I was suddenly woken up by a loud message tone from my phone, upon checking what the text was all about, I realised that I had received the promised transfer, words cannot express how happy I was, I immediately woke up my wife who was deeply asleep, she too was equally happy, we were all grateful for the financial breakthrough in our lives.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life today is that I now have a decent place to live, it is spacious, we no longer cook and sleep in the same room, this will also mean that our health generally would improve, we will no longer worry about the smoke affecting our eyes or lungs, I am happy and grateful for the support that has lifted our living standards.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used to live in a grass-thatched house before, it was small but I had no choice due to so many responsibilities yet I didn't have a reliable source of income, thus when I received my transfer, I prioritized building a decent house for my family, therefore I used KES 45,000, I then bought a calf at KES 4500, lastly I used the remaining part of the money in buying clothes, I am so grateful for the support that lifted my living standards.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a father of six working hard to have a happy and healthy family. I love education thus having my children educated is my biggest ambition. I currently have my firstborn in university and another two children in secondary while the rest are in primary school. I spend the larger part of my income on their school fees. I depend on casual jobs and farming to make ends meet. I have an old grass-thatched house I have been living in for more than ten years now. Its state is unhabitable but the financial stability has not given me a chance to build another one. To me, receiving this money means a new spacious house. I am planning to spend KES 60000 to build a decent iron-roofed house. This is a dream come true for my family. I will enjoy a better comfort of my home having this bigger, decent house.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a family, we support each other to meet our needs especially our children's education. We depend on farming and casual jobs as a household to meet our needs. We formed a merry-go-round group together with other family members to help us at times of financial crisis. In the last six months, my turn came, and I was given a total amount of KES 30000. This brought joy to my life. I was able to pay for my son's school fee. I did not struggle to raise the fee though I had nothing as savings.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest challenge is scarce resources in my family. I depend on casual and subsistence farming to see my family through. Meeting daily household needs and children's education has not been easy for me.
