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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.
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Completed
Newsfeed > Mukakalisa's Profile
Mukakalisa's family
Mukakalisa
landscapeCountry:
rwanda
workOccupation:
Subsistence farming
faceAge:
41
workCampaign
Rwanda Large Transfer
There will be no further updates from this completed recipient.
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
477520 RWF ($409 USD)
access_time 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a cow of $370 because we needed a cow at home in order to get manure and I also bought school uniform and our clothes of $30 because my children's uniform were old and we needed clothes to wear and we also used $70 for food because we were hungry and we needed food to eat
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
We were so lonely and we thought that we were useless but GD thought about us and showed us that we can reach somewhere. I don't see anything bad that GD has done everything was good
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
We didn't have land but we got it and we now have a cow that will give us manure and in the next coming years we will have enough food for our household. All thanks to GiveDirectly that helped us to achieve this.
 
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
329680 RWF
access_time over 1 year ago
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What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent my transfer first of all by paying back the bank loan that I have requested while buying a land for cultivating, I bought home furnitures, food my family and the remaining balance used in growing of crops so that I can avoid working on plantations and agriculture farms of others.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since I started receiving the payment, my family was so happy, we are able to afford basic needs like Food and clothes is available. I now live in peaceful and Joy because I have full paid the bank loan and I also cultivate for my self instead of working for others. In fact my life has completely changed.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received money when I was in a farm early morning cultivating for others and I thought that I was dreaming because was my first time to receive such amount of money in my life. The first thought that came in my mind was to do something that may help me to avoid daily working for others.
 
Enrolled
access_time over 1 year ago
 
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being able to cultivate requires us to rent lands to be able to produce what to eat, and to be able to get that money to pay, we have to do casual labour. Our children struggle to go to school because most of the time we are not able to provide for what they need to be able to study well, some of my children had to drop out and they are not happy with us because we are incapable of providing them with the basic needs. Our house is very small, and all our children sleep on the floor in the living room and they all sleep together boys and girls.
What is the happiest part of your day?
We have been blessed with a new baby girl, our youngest, who is 2 months and a half now, and we were overwhelmed by her arrival in our family. Even though we are struggling to get school fees for our children , seeing them go to school and learn to read gives us hope that they will make it in life, and this brings us happiness. For this farming season, we have been able to have a good harvest of coffee, which is giving us enough money to us in these current days.
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
In the first instalment, we plan to pay out a debt we have from Sacco ( Saving and Credit Cooperative) that amounts to $100, and we also plan to buy furnitures ,beds , matress, bedcover, clothes ,food and school uniforms for our children. And the balance we plan to save it. The second instalment we plan to buy a land for $600 , we will combine the balance from the first installment and the second instalment to be able to pay that land , we are currently renting that land and acquiring it for our own will be very beneficial. Receiving this money gives us joy , we will get it while needing it, and we will use the money to our advantage and be able to have a brighter future because we will have all that we need.