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 on my way from my farm when I encountered my neighbors who gave me the good news that Givedirectly money has come. I took my phone to the network area and my message appeared. My brother read the content of the text and confirmed to me that I had 40375 in my MoMo account from Givedirectly. My heart leaped with happiness. I got total relief from the many burdens I had, one of which was my children's school fees.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having sound sleep is the biggest difference Givedirectly transfer has made in my life. The transfer has taken me from problem, thus making me satisfied and happy.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I paid half semester school fees for all my seven children. I bought two bundles of zinc to rebuild my house which got broken down six years ago; my children's yearly school fees prevented me from accomplishing this goal.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am illiterate today because my parents did not send me to school. As a result of what my parents did to me, I am here suffering every time burning coal to send my children to school. My children are so dear to me and I want to see them going to school and completing their education. For that reason, my husband and I go under serious constraints to send our children to school. So if I get this transfer, I will want to send my children to school so that they can get the best of education. I know that when they are educated, our suffering will end because they will find jobs and start to help us.
If you look at that spot there, you will see the foundation of my house that got broken down approximately five years ago. After my house broke down, my brother had to provide this room for me and my family to have shelter over our heads again. Since that time, I have not been able to raise money that will enable me to build my house back. So when I get this money and pay my children's school fees, the next thing I will want to do is a build my house so that we can have a place of our own.
What is the happiest part of your day?
For now, I have not seen anything that has made me happy in past months. All I can say is, when I am able to provide food for my children, it makes me very happy but apart from that, nothing has happened to me that has brought me joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Since my house broke down, getting a place for my children to stay has been a serious challenge for me. Most of the times when I take them to some of my family members, they can complain about them and even send them back to me. My heart aches when that happens and I am now on my feet again doing hard labor (burning coal) to raise money and build my own house.
