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 busy working at my farm with my children when suddenly I heard my phone ringing notifying me of an incoming message. I stopped to check it and I could not believe it when I saw that I had received KES 55000 in my mobile money account. I was so happy that my children noticed it. They asked me what was happening and I told them that we had received the promised transfer from GiveDirectly. They were so happy to hear the good news and we celebrated together.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The transfer has brought a very big difference in my life and that of my family. I was able to buy a cow that I had always desired to have but was not able to acquire it due to a lack of money. With the cow, we now have milk for our consumption and we no longer incur the cost of buying milk every day.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of the transfer money on buying a cow. I bought the cow at KES 30000. I wanted to buy the cow because I knew that it was going to help me in the future when it calves. I was going to get more milk that I can sell and consume. This way I will hence no longer have to incur the cost of buying a litre of milk every day at KES 40. The money that I will get from the sales I will use on other important things such as paying school fees for my children. I was not in a position to buy a cow before because I didn't have the money. I am a tailor and I depend on my business to earn a living. The money that I get from the business most of it usually goes to the purchase of food and milk for my family of five. I am hence so much grateful to GiveDirectly because they enabled me to achieve my dream.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a single mother of two and I live within the compound of my father. It has been my ambition to own a piece of land and build my own house. I have been saving money from my small business of tailoring and I have so far managed to raise KES. 150,000. I am so glad for Givedirectly transfers and from what I have, I plan to use KES.40,000 to buy the materials, KES. 30,000 for labour and spent the remaining balance to pay for paying school fees for my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is usually in the morning as I prepare to open my tailoring business. I love my job and as I look forward to a busy day ahead,it gives me happiness.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
After I separated with my husband around 5 years ago, I came back home to stay with my parents and this didn't sit well with my other siblings who started unfounded quarrels just to frustrate me. This has been ongoing and I do not want it anymore. Since this has become the biggest hardship in my life.
