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?
Without a shadow of a doubt, I was so elated. I never expected to receive an Mpesa text as life was abit tough. Actually I was just from the river fetching water and was so fatigued. The transfer received just gave me a renewed ray of hope.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am now able to farm in my own garden and with the immense array of food supplements, I can now comfortably provide for my family and ensure a better life for them.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Receiving the transfer enabled me to fulfill some of the desires and goals I had set to achieve once I had some starting capital. I was able to spend KES 32500 on purchasing 5 goats each at KES 6500. Moreover, I spent a further KES 1750 buying 5 chicken each at KES 350; enhancing the poultry farmer skills in me. Having the farmer instincts, I was able to purchase a bag of maize at KES 3300 that would enable to push through the entire month. Also I was able to get seedlings and fertiliser worth KES 2000 enabling future produce to sustain my family and I. I was also able to add to the food supplements in the house worth KES 3000 and not forgetting to get my kids some new clothes worth KES 2000. The remaining KES 10000 I was able to put into a savings account for future reference.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means I will be able to open a business. It has been my ambition to start a business but due to lack of capital, it has remained to be a dream. So when I get this transfer I will spend KES 30000 of it to purchase two bales of second-hand clothes. These clothes I will be selling in the nearby markets. This will help me generate income since I am a single mother after I separated from my husband.
What is the happiest part of your day?
After the death of my elder child, I was demoralized to an extend I even contemplated committing suicide. The person I expected to give me the moral support I needed to get over my grieve was the first one to accuse me of the death of my child. But 6 months ago I gave birth to my second-born daughter. She became my source of strength to move on in life and this has brought joy and happiness into my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The current challenge I am facing is a lack of money. My predicament started when I came home to visit my mother. I had a 9-month-old baby and I was pregnant too. When I arrived my baby got sick and passed away. My husband felt as if I killed her and we separated. Since then I have been depending from hand to mouth. I fetch firewood for sale. A bundle of it I sell at KES 50. Finding it also is a challenge. The money I get is insufficient to meet all my household needs including purchasing food.
