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 heart was filled with happiness the moment I realized that GiveDirectly had sent the promised transfer. I remember I was on the farm weeding onions since I usually plant them for commercial purposes when I received the confirmation message. I quickly rushed back home and celebrated with my family by cracking jokes and sharing opinions on how our lives were going to change.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have been able to clear this year's school fees for my son. Due to this, I am at peace knowing that he will be able to concentrate on his studies and his performance will improve as he will no longer be in and out of school.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my transfer, I spent KES 10000 to pay school fees for my son who had been sent back home due to the fee arrears that I was owing to the school. Also, I spent KES 10000 to buy 4 three-seater seats since I did not have them despite having built a bigger house. From the remaining amount, I spent KES 11000 on a heifer as a way of saving this money and spent the remaining amount on food.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means the burden of paying school fees will be lifted off my shoulders. I have a son who just joined secondary school, four years still ahead. In a year I pay up to Ksh 15,000. Being a small-scale farmer, I get ksh 2000 a month from selling vegetable seedlings. This amount is too little to meet my family's needs which include food and clothing. I plan to pay ksh 30,000 school fees for my son which covers three years of his education. With school fees sorted, it will go a long way in helping me focus on other developments. For the rest of the amount, I will purchase a dairy cow which will also be giving me income through the sale of milk produced.
What is the happiest part of your day?
What has brought me joy and happiness is the rainfall we have been experiencing recently. This is the joy of every farmer. Water is important to me being a vegetable farmer because I have several nurseries that need a constant water supply. For the past three months, there has been a lot of rainfall, making the seedlings grow very fast. I could even sell every two weeks making up to KES 5,000, which compared to previous months is a lot.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge as of now is the lack of food. I have a one-acre farm, which accommodates one cow, a homestead and a small garden. I prefer farming short-term crops that enable me to sell within a month and earn an income. This means I cannot plan long-term crops like maize. I'm forced to purchase maize at Ksh 2800 a month. Sometimes we are forced to go without food because the much I earn in a month cannot sustain all our needs.
