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?
One afternoon on the weekend, I was at home relaxing with my three boys. As a teacher, I cherish these moments of rest. Suddenly, I received a notification on my phone saying that I had received $200 from GiveDirectly. I was overjoyed and immediately shared the news with my boys. They were just as happy as I was because we really needed the money.
After taking a moment to calm down, I decided that the first thing I would do with the money was to build a new toilet. Our previous one had been destroyed by floods, and the hygiene situation was quite bad. This gift from GiveDirectly was a blessing, and I was determined to use it to improve our living conditions.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference since I started receiving GiveDirectly transfers is the ability to address sanitation issues. When floods hit our area, our family toilet was destroyed, making it hard to cope and putting us at risk of diseases and discomfort. Thanks to the transfers, I was able to build a new toilet, eliminating the risk of hygiene-related diseases.
The transfers also helped me rescue my farm, which was on the verge of complete damage. By buying fertilizer, I was able to recover the crops. Now, I am looking forward to a good harvest that will provide food for my family and allow me to sell the surplus to pay for school fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving $200 from GiveDirectly, I took some time to calm down because I was overjoyed. As a teacher, sanitation is really a priority for me. Recently, floods hit our village, causing a lot of destruction. Our family toilet was destroyed, putting my family of five kids at risk of diseases. Therefore, I allocated $148 to cover the cost of materials and labor for constructing a new toilet. Since the construction of the toilet, our family’s hygiene and dignity have improved.
The floods also damaged our farm, where I had planted maize and kales. I was on the brink of huge losses, but this money came in handy. I bought fertilizer for $25, which helped me rescue the farm from losses. Now, I am looking forward to a good harvest, which will help me keep my kids in school.
Additionally, I spent $8 to buy a TV aerial because we didn’t have one, and I want my family to stay updated on current affairs both locally and internationally. Lastly, I spent $35 to buy clothes for me and my family. We are so grateful for GiveDirectly's support.
Enrolled
access_time 4 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Having been adversely affected by the recent floods that raged through my house causing loss and despair, I am planning to use KES 40,000 as the cost of demolishing the current house and transporting materials to the acquired land (not prone to floods). The cost includes labour cost for construction of the new house.
To make my farm productive again, i intend to acquire irrigation PDE pipes to supply water at a cost of KES 60,000. The remaining KES 10,000 will help in buying farm inputs (Tilling, seeds, fertilizer and Insecticides)
What is the happiest part of your day?
Struggling with fees payment for my children was my big challenge until the end of December 2023 when my bank loan request was approved, this brought me relief and joy as i was able to clear annual fees of KES 53,000 for one of my secondary school children. I was also able to pay KES 44,000 and KES 38,000 respectively as part of the fees for the other two students in different secondary schools.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Having been mostly affected by the recent floods, my biggest shortcoming now is lack of money for use in constructing a house in a piece of land i bought that is located in a safer place not prone to floods.
The vegetable farm that my family was depending on for income is drying due to lack of water for irrigation as the river it was depending on changed its course following the effects of flooding. This needs purchase of pipes from the main river which i can not currently do due to lack of money.
I am also currently having challenges in paying all fees for my 3 secondary school children.
