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?
My transfer came early in the morning when I was still busy with my normal house chores. I saw the screen of my phone blinking which was assigned to an incoming message. Upon checking where the message was coming from, I realised that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy and happiness because I knew that the money would impact my life fully. I then informed the helper who is also my brother so that we would plan together a convenient time for us to cash out the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life today is that, Initially, I only had one house that was grass thatched. But with the support that I got from the organization, I was able to transform my life to a higher living standard by constructing a decent and bigger house for my family. Words cannot explain the immense joy that I felt to have owned a house in a short time. I am so humbled and grateful for the financial support that impacted our way of life positively.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving my transfer I was full of happiness and optimistic about tomorrow. This is because I had always wanted to construct a decent house in the village but I was unable due to financial constraints. Thus I saw this as a golden opportunity for me to build a house. I am a casual labourer and a mother of four, what I earn is nearly enough to cater for the basic needs of my family. Therefore I used KES 30,000 to build a house, I then bought a dairy cow for KES 17,000 so has to cut down on the cost of buying milk daily. Lastly, I used the remaining amount on medication and foodstuffs. I am so happy for the support that lifted my living standard to a higher level in society.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am epileptic highly depending on medicine that I get from a local government facility. I spend about KES 2000 on this despite that I don't have a source of income. In late 2021, I found someone who can properly treat me but this is very expensive. To deal with this condition I will spend about KES 10,000 on this medication. I will the n spend about KES 30,000 on buying a dairy cow. It will beimportant to have milk that will earn me a daily income. I hope to be able to meet my dayly needs properly, mainly food and payng school fees for my children easily, once I have this cow.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last 4 months, my dairy cow calved down, meaning that I have some income from selling the milk. From this, I get about KES 100 per day. I am able to meet some of my basic needs, mainly, sugar, maize flour and soap. Even though I still rely on my relatives, I feel more comfortable that I don't have to borrow everything, thus,reducing the burden that I give them.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship is not having any source of income because I am uneducated and sickly. This means that I am unable to do manual jobs like the rest of my friends. Because of this, I cannot get enough food for my household, sometimes having to rely on provisions from my relatives. I also cannot afford to build a house, we are now sharing a small mud hut with four of my children who are all grown-ups. This makes me uncomfortable. I will spend about KES 30,000 to build a new house to have a room for the boys and myself.
