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 spent the better part of the day at home and hours later I decided to step out and head to the market to purchase some food items for my family in order to prepare the day’s meal. On my way there, I received an MPESA text from GiveDirectly. I was quite elated and I smiled all the way to the market as I saw my life receive an upsurge. The plans and goals I had were really a step away from being realised. I was able to withdraw the amount at an MPESA agent after one week.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
With the funds received from GiveDirectly, I was now able to construct a good house for my family and improve their livelihoods. More to that, I paid off the school fees for the kids ensuring they do not miss any lessons giving them a better education future.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
On receiving the KES 55000 from GiveDirectly, I was able to pursue the goals I had set. I constructed a good house to provide better living conditions for my family and I. A total of KES 28900 was spent on getting the materials needed to construct the house; where I used KES 11900 buying iron sheets, an additional KES 10000 purchasing timber and cost of labour at KES 7000. I was also able to buy a good mattress at KES 4000 ensuring my family had that good night rest quite comfortably. Having kids in school, I got to pay school fees for them; one kid in high school a total of KES 12000 and the rest three who are in the lower classes a total of KES 3000. The remaining balance of KES 7100, I was in a position to add to the food supplements for the house and also get new clothes for my children.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a widow with a family of five children. My spouse died five years ago and left all the responsibilities of taking care of the children on me. The house he left us collapsed and I had to build a small single roomed house. This house is too small to accommodate my five children. This has forced them to borrow shelter from neighbours which is very dangerous and risky especially when it rains at night as they have to walk one hundred metres at night to the next homestead. My dream has always been to own a two bedroom house that is spacious enough to accommodate my family. However, due to financial challenges, this has never come true. I depend on selling local brew which earns me a profit of KES 100 a day. This is not enough to meet my basic needs as every coin I earn is solely used to buy food only. Receiving this money will be a dream come true for me. I will use KES 50000 to build my house then use the second transfer to pay school fees for my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last month, our village received aid food from the government. Every household was given fifty kilograms of maize and ten kilograms of beans. Receiving this aid was a big boost to me because I was really struggling to get food at that time. I could stay for two or three days without making any sales from my local liquor business. When I received the aid food, I became very happy and I had peace of mind because the food would sustain my family for two weeks.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a stable source of income is the main challenge that I am facing currently. Have you imagined being a jobless widow with five children to take care of? This is the situation giving me sleepless nights. My main economic activity currently is selling local brew in the village to meet some of the basic needs of my family.This business earns me less than KES 200 a day which is not enough to sustain me and my children. However, since it is the only economic activity I can do, I have no choice but to do it. My ambition is to start a kiosk in the village because there is none at the moment. However, due to lack of enough capital, this has remained a dream for many years. Upon receiving the cash transfers, I will use KES 20000 to start the kiosk business which will help me earn some good profit to pay school fees for my children and meet other basic needs.
