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 that the transfer has brought into my life is that I now operate a small restaurant which engages me and through it, I am earning an income unlike before when I did not have any source of income.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was anxiously waiting for the notification that morning after a neighbour had informed me the previous day that the promised time for receiving the money from GiveDirectly had finally come. I was constantly checking the incoming messages to see whether I would confirm one. I had lost hope but after some time, I received my first transfer. I was filled with happiness in my heart and it brought comfort again into my life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer to open a small restaurant in our nearby trading centre, as it provided a strategic position to get enough customers which makes it viable to run it in this area. I paid for rent and bought all the necessary requirements which include utensils and other pieces of equipment to operate it. In addition to this, I also bought enough stock to start with. Through this, I am assured of earning a good profit. I also purchased a pair of oxen that will help me in my farming timely in order to obtain better harvests to feed my family and reduce the budget on food and spend the money to more viable opportunities. The pair of oxen will also help me increase the acreage of my arable land which will eventually improve food production. I bought two goats for domestic rearing and to keep and in future, I will sell them and help me raise more capital for investment. I also bought a new door for my house since the old one had broken and I had to replace and fix it. Lastly, I purchased a wooden bed to replace the old one I was using to enjoy a comfortable sleep as it was not the case before.
Enrolled
access_time almost 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a housewife and I only depend on subsistence farming. My husband works as a cook in a hotel and earns only 200 shillings in a day. This is not sufficient to sustain the family. Therefore with this transfer I will start a hotel business in Bamba center. This will give me a stable income to meet family needs in terms of food, clothing and medical. I will also enroll in a tailoring school since it is the only option left after missing secondary education due to lack of funds. With this skill, I will open a tailoring shop that will earn me more income. I will use part of this transfer to completely build my house which is half way, and also purchase livestock for rearing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I always have a cumbersome and hectic day in the farm. Farming has never been easy for me because the land is mostly dry due to poor rainfall. However, I have to spend the entire day doing it because it my only source of income. It wears me out and brings a lot of pain in my body especially my back. I only get to rest in the evening after completing all the activities. This makes me happy because I get time to regain energy as I prepare for another day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability is my biggest hardship. This greatly affects my family status and it is quite difficult to live a decent life. This is because I am unable to meet basic needs for the family. My family goes without food almost 3 days a week. Besides this, I am also unable to respond to medical needs a situation that made me suffer from severe stomach ache for 2 months. It was also impossible to provide housing for the family, and in this regard we have been homeless for the past 3 years. I only constructed this small house in August this year but it is not yet incomplete due to lack of money.
