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 can remember very well I was heading to the dam to fetch water when my phone started ringing. But since I am illiterate I decide to ask my son who was also my helper to check the content of the message. After checking, he realized it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with joy and I decided to go back home and celebrated with my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having the dairy cow is the biggest difference and gift that I have ever received in my life. I settled on rearing the cow because it has various benefits compared to any other domestic animal. In the next two months, I will start a business of selling the milk in our local markets to raise money to meet family needs with my children's education being the most. Also, the remaining few litres will be for my family's consumption. I thank GiveDirectly for making a positive impact on my life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer on buying some beddings such as two beds and mattresses. Previously we used to sleep on the traditional beds and some old mats. This made us have some back pains every day and also being attacked with some bedbugs, this was really affecting us healthwise. It is now a relief because we are sleeping in a comfortable place. I later bought a dairy cow as an asset that I can depend on for a few months to come. I then bought some iron sheets, building poles and nails and this was purposely for the construction of a new house for my children since we used to share the same house which was small. Apart from that, there was no privacy since all my children are grown-ups. The remaining amount I nought some foodstuffs for my children that would take us for like two weeks time.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My single roomed house is not spacious enough to accommodate my family of 6. This has forced 3 of my children to seek shelter in our neighbor's house. Being a parent I am not comfortable since I fear so much about their security. Besides, I am afraid they might get exposed to immoral behavior that can affect their social life. Therefore, my desire is to construct a better house that will accommodate my entire family. This means I will be able to protect them well as supervise their behaviour.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is evening after a long day of energy draining activities. I am always engaged in household chores that rarely give me a chance to rest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Providing for my family is quite a challenge. This is as a result of not having a reliable source of income since I depend on charcoal burning. This earns me less than 1000 shillings a month, an amount that is supposed to cater for 6 children. In an ideal scenario is it possible to operate on such a budget? Therefore I have to overlook other needs to meet the most sensitive ones. In regard to this we don't even have beddings and we use the traditional bed that is made of sisal reeds. My children have never slept on a mattress ever since they were born. All these struggles are attributed to financial insufficiency which is my biggest hardship.
