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 biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have bought a heifer. I used to buy milk from my neighbors and it is so costly for me. I depend on casual jobs in the village to earn an income. The amount of money that I get through this was so small and only enough for the basic needs. I had no other source of income to enable me to buy a heifer. Currently, I have gotten hope that when my cow had reproduced I will be in a position to get enough milk for my family and also sell the surplus milk at the market to earn an income to meet other basic needs for my family. I no longer do much of the casual jobs but rather devote much of my time on my farm doing my own activities. GiveDirectly has given me hope to be self-employed rather than work for people all day.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment when I received my money I felt so happy because I have never received such an amount of money before. I remember it was very early in the morning when I heard a message from my phone. When I checked it I felt so happy because I knew I was in a position to buy a heifer which has always been my dream. My spouse and children also celebrated because this was a big blessing to our home.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to buy a heifer. I buy milk from my neighbors and it is so costly for me since I depend on manual jobs. clothes, I also bought food, ten hen, chicken feeds, braided my hair and the rest of the money I used I used it on medication, I had a throat problem and I went for treatment at our district hospital.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that i will be able to improve poultry farming by adding more chicken, building a more advanced poultry unit as well as fencing all around my compound with wire mesh in order to restrict the poultry from going to my neighbours' farms to destroy crops hence no more conflict with my neighbours. My second transfer will enable me to add one dairy cow for milking in order to boost the daily income i normally earn from selling 4litres of milk daily produced by my cow at ksh27 per day
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening since its the time to take a rest after i am through with all the activities that i had planned for the day having in mind that all went well
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It has been 5years since i was diagnosed with tonsillitis, a condition that keeps on reoccurring, something that has made my family lag behind in terms of development since my husband who works as a casual labourer in tea plantations and earns an average of ksh 150 per day spends most of his salary in my medication now that i am always in and out of hospitals. This is the biggest hardship we are facing in this family
