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 relaxing at home with my son when I heard a message on my phone. Since I cannot read, I asked him to check for me, as I had nominated him as my helper. He confirmed that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was so happy, and the first thought that came to my mind was to use the money to pay school fees for my two children in high school.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Together with my husband, we rely on crop farming to support our family. This year, when we lost our three acres of maize crops to floods, which we depended on especially to pay school fees for our children, we were stressed as parents. Our two children in high school had a debt of $200, and our son in college owed $400. We were planning to do a fundraising event, but luckily, GiveDirectly's support came just in time. We used $100 to reduce the high school fees and planned to clear our son's college fees with proceeds from our melon harvest. Although we haven’t cleared the entire fee using the transfer, we were able to reduce it, which gave us peace of mind. Knowing we still have pending transfers brings us even more relief. Thank you, GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My two children in high school had a total debt of $200, with each owing $100. When I received my first transfer, schools were about to open, and honestly, I had nothing to give them since the crops I relied on were swept away by the floods. I used $100 to reduce their fee arrears, paying $50 for each child. Furthermore, after losing my maize crops, I didn't give up on farming and decided to replant melons. When I received my transfer, my melons were at the top-dressing stage, so I bought top-dressing fertilizer worth $20, hoping it would help us recover financially. Unfortunately, after the harvest, we incurred a loss because the market price was extremely low—half of the normal price. In addition, food was a constant worry, so I bought a bag of maize for $30 and condiments worth $20, which sustained us for a while until our melons were ready for harvest. Finally, I spent $10 on transportation for the maize, my son, and myself from the market.
Enrolled
access_time 4 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
We have been experiencing perennial food shortage in my family, this is stressing me a lot. GiveDirectly's cash transfer program gives me another chance to go back to the farm and produce enough food for my family. I will set aside $100 of my transfers to cultivate our one acre piece of land. This will reduce my burden of working on casual jobs to put food on the table. I am yet to pay school fees arrears of $120 for my son Ben who is in Ilpolei secondary school. This is bothering me a lot, I have a feeling that the school principal might send him back soon to fetch school fees arrears. The transfers from GiveDirectly gives me hope of clearing school fees balance, I am happy that my son will have humble time to concentrate on his studies. I will also spend $310 of my transfers to pre-pay school fees for my three sons Asbel, Abel and Ben. With the remaining transfers, I will buy clothes, bedding and food for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The flash floods that occurred in April reduced our life from grace to grass. We lost everything that we had invested. Despite the loss, I am happy that none of my family members were injured or lost their life. This motivates me to work hard and provide for my family of seven.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am currently struggling to pay school fees for my sons Asbel, Abel and Ben. Both Asbel and Abel are studying in Loitip secondary school while Ben is in Ilpolei secondary school. I do not have a stable source of family income and this is making my life unbearable. My old age is also another challenge since it cannot allow me to work casually to earn a living. It is sad that I have sold almost all of my livestock so that I can give my children quality education. It is unfortunate that our crops were swept away by the flash floods that occurred three months ago. We have no otherwise but to buy food from the market which is extremely expensive. This is worsening our family's struggle. Skipping meals is now common in my family.
