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?
It was around 6:30 in the morning when I received the message. I curiously, checked its content only to realize it was an Mpesa message from GiveDireclty. I was extremely happy because I was positive my life would change.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having have renovated my house has brought the biggest difference in my daily life. This is because the previous one was in critical condition. The walls were very weak and I was certain it would collapse in the near future. I never had peace because I was always worried about the security at night since sometimes some rodents and dangerous insects could attack me at course some harm. For now, that has remained a history because I managed to plaster all the walls and there are no longer some cracks and holes like before. I no longer about the issue of security and the bad weather like I used to.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some cement, sand, and bricks to renovate my house. The previous one was in poor condition and it was almost collapsing due to the weak walls. I am also planning to buy a pair of oxen as my living assets that will majorly help me in my farming activities. I then bought some beddings such as two new beds and two mattresses. This was to replace the old beddings that I have been using before. The remaining amount I am using it in buying enough foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Owning cows and repairing my house is generally what receiving this money means to me. As of now, I have cows which I leased from my neighbor and the only benefit is the income I get from the sale of milk, mostly 5 liters per day. In most cases, I lack customers and we usually consume them as a relish. My plan is to spend the first transfer to buy 3 indigenous dairy cows that can help me getting more milk to sale in order to have an extra income for the family. On the other hand, I intend to spend the second disbursement to repair my house by reinforcing it with stones to make it permanent. This will bring in a big change to our living standards and hence, a better life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day because I usually get maximum time to relax. Unlike in the morning and afternoon hours when I am always in the bush herding cows.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income to cater for the family's basic needs is generally my biggest hardship that I have ever faced. Currently, I depend on charcoal burning as the only source of income but my time to perform this work is limited since I spend the better part of my day herding. My husband is suffering from hypertension and he can not do heavy jobs, something that has forced him to remain jobless at home.
