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 was still in bed on the day that the transfers came when I got a message notification. Upon checking, It was a messge notifying me that my M-pesa account had been debited with some amount of money from GiveDirectly. We were so happy and full of joy and we celebrated with my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily is that I now have clean drinking water for my family. I used to buy from water supply company and this was quite expensive. Other than that, the fact that I did not have a water storage forced me to buy a small amount of water and we could deplete it before the next round. I am glad that I am now harvesting water from my roof and keeping it in the tank. I now spent no amount of money to purchase water. I am also glad that I now own my own cow. I have always wanted to have and rear my own cow but the many responsibilities such as school fees and family medical bills could not allow me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I bought a 1000 litre water tank using part of the transfer received to help me with water storage. I also bought a cow for rearing which which help me in the future as a source of milk. I previously did not have any cow for rearing. The transfers also helped me buy food and other household necessities for my family. I also paid for land tilling and bought maize and bean seeds for planting.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means reclaiming the livestock I sold for my children's education. I am planning to spend about $350 to buy a dairy cow to provide the family with milk for consumption thus addressing food security. I will use the remaining $150 to purchase a water tank to collect rain water so as to access clean and safe water for drinking. My ambition is to cushion my family against water borne diseases.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My wife and I are aging and lonely since most of my children are married and live in their own. Getting past the day is lonely since there's no one around. The happiest part of my day is in the evening when my grandchildren are home from school. They love to come to my house and help out with house chores, which cheers me up a great deal.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being an ASAL area, access to clean and safe water for drinking has been a mystery for a long time. There has been a competition between humans and animals for water in the pans thus exposing us to diseases –which worries me a lot!
