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 had finished preparing our evening meal when I discovered that I had received two messages. Upon checking the contents, I confirmed that it was a Mpesa from GiveDirectly. It got all my family into shock since we all thought it was a dream. We felt so happy and thanked God for His mercies upon us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that my house is spacious enough to accommodate all my seven family members. The initial house had a single room which could barely fit us all. Therefore all my five kids were forced to sleep at their grandmother's house for all those years. This matter has been disturbing my mind for so long but then I did not have any alternative. I have however been desiring to renovate it but I could afford to raise the cash for the construction process. This is because my spouse and I depend on the temporary charcoal business. All we have been fighting for is our daily meals and the remaining cash to support our children's education. Therefore there were no hopes of building a better and more spacious structure. It now feels like a dream to us because we are sleeping in a decent environment without facing any challenges like before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on purchasing iron sheets, building poles, nails and all the materials needed to renovate my house at a total of KES 30500. I had intended to rebuild my house by adding two rooms since it was not spacious enough to accommodate my seven family members. Therefore my kids have been sleeping at their grandmother's house for all that long. To add to that, I bought a mattress which cost KES 3500 to replace the old one which was very tiny. To add to that I am happy I was able to pay fees for my four children who are in primary school and purchased sufficient food for them.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means safety and dignity to my family of four children. I live in unfinished two bedroom mud walled house. However, due to inadequate funds, only one room is complete and can only accommodate my spouse and I. This forces our four children to seek shelter from our neighbors. It is sad and shameful to see my own children walk in the dark moving to the next household which is very dangerous especially during the rain season. I depend on casual jobs which are not reliable. In a good day, I take home KES 500 which is solely used for food and water. This has made it difficult to meet other basic needs. I will use the first cash transfer KES 50000 to finish my house and then spend the remaining amount on school fees for the children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My main source of joy and happiness is my family's good health. This is because, over the years, I could not take a month without one of my family member falling sick which brought a lot of challenges. This contributed to compromising some of the basic needs like education. However, in the last six months, none of us has fallen sick which has given me peace of mind.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have four children who are currently attending school. Raising their school fees has really been very difficult. My spouse who depends on casual jobs earns KES 500 a day. This is only enough to cater for food. More often, the children are sent home to get schools fees which is not there. It is sad to see them cry helplessly as they see their friends leave for school every day. It has been my desire to see my children access basic and higher education but this dream is shattered by the current economic challenge. Upon receiving the cash transfers, I will clear the school debt worth KES 7000. I will then use KES 30000 to invest in livestock farming to meet their current and future academic needs.
