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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2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
297300 MWK ($364 USD)
access_time 3 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Let me start by thanking GD for this program. I feel so blessed. My life has changed for the better. Now I live a happy life because I have peace of mind. I have managed to pay school fees for my two children using the transfer and it was a challenge before. I also bought clothes and we are all looking good as a family. I also just built a house and I failed to finish it. The transfer gave me an opportunity to finish my house. All I can say is that God should bless GD.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I only see the goodness of GD. I have never received such amount of money from any organisation. The money was enough to change my story and so much has changed in my life. I also had an opportunity to get a phone which could take me ages to buy.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am so grateful for the program. I have managed to buy 10 bags of cement which I used to plaster my house. I also used it to replace the mud flow of my house. The food which I had was not enough and I bought 6 bags of maize to supplement on it. I also didn't have enough beddings, I bought a mattress which costed me MK 70000. I also bought bedsheets for my children.
I have two children who are schooling at Katema Secondary. I had no school fees and the transfer was a rescue. I paid school fees for them and gave them pocket money. I also started a small business with the transfer. I do sell vegetables.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
As a family that only relies on farming as our main livelihood, we face a lot of financial struggles if we have not sold our produce. We rely on the proceeds from selling maize and groundnuts to use for basic necessities,school fees for the children and even buy more food.
From the problems we face as a family, this money will reduce the pressures that comes with shortage of money. The priority is to make sure that my kids a are educated and I will make sure that some money goes towards their education for the next three terms. From there,we shall buy some bags of maize to top up on what we have since maize is chap during this harvesting period. In addition, we shall also do some finishings such as cementing the house and plaster inside the house too.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a family man, I am always happy when am at home with family. I get to learn how my kids are fairing in school and see where I can help. If there is nothing to do at home, I go to my nearest church and chat with fellow church members.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
As a person who never went far with education, I have seen how important education is. From my experience, I resolved to make sure that my kids get educated more than me. Unfortunately, the setback has been shortage of money as we have to sell some produce in order to have money. The money gained is never enough to pay for all children expenses as we also have a lot of needs within the household. Hence,the biggest hardship currently is shortage of money which makes it hard for us to cover our children's education.
