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 so glad the moment I learned that I had finally received the transfers. I thank God for bringing GiveDirectly into my village because I can now accomplish my dreams. I never expected they would come true anytime soon.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Owning my own dairy cows makes the biggest difference in my daily life. I have been having the desire to get my own for so many years but I did not have the resources since what I could earn was only for the daily needs of my family. Currently, one of the cows already calved, which makes me mere hopeful. Through the sale of the milk from the cow, I am hoping that in the next few years my life will never be the same again. I am extremely grateful to be among the beneficiaries of GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some beddings which include a wooden bed, mattress and bedsheets. These were to replace the old beddings that I have been using for all those years. I later bought some livestock such as two dairy cows at a total of KES 24000. In addition, the remaining amount of money, I bought enough foodstuffs and some other household items like basins, utensils and decent clothes.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Constructing a spacious and iron-roofed house is generally what receiving this money means to me. Currently, I live in a small house which is also just braving the strong winds of this area. I am eager to own a very decent one once I get my transfers since my plan is to use utmost $300 to do this. On the other hand, I intend to use another $300 to buy 2 indigenous dairy cows to act as my long investment project. The remaining amount will help me to get a modern wooden bed plus a mattress that will give a nice sleep, something that I have never experienced in my life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day because it is at this time when I get ample time to relax and share a meal with my children. Unlike in the morning and afternoon hours when I am always busy working in the bush or as a laborer in my neighbor's farm.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being in a polygamous household means struggling a lot in order to provide for the children when the husband is old and jobless. Having assumed the role of food provision for the family, charcoal burning and working in my neighbor's farm to get a living is what I have known in my life. Therefore, it is my feeling that lack of a reliable source of income to sustain my family's basic needs is my biggest hardship.
