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?
The moment I received the transfer, I felt overwhelmed with joy. I heard my phone vibrate repeatedly. Out of curiosity, I read its content and realized that I had received my transfer. I knew that I was going to achieve most of my goals.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that, my children can now do their homework comfortably without the fear of the light going off and on the other hand, I can finish my house chores till late. Additionally, having building stone is a dream come true because my hopes of ever having a decent and permanent house is soon being realized.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer on purchasing a bigger solar lantern. Before then, I had a smaller one that would not sustain my children and I for it would go off unexpectedly i.e : it meant that by seven o'clock at night all our activities had to be halted. Moreover, I bought building stones since I had planned to build a house to replace the one I am currently in made of mud for it is unsuitable habitat.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Repairing my house by reinforcing it with stones and cementing the floor is generally what receiving this money means to me. Considering my husband's income from his job of tapering coconut wine, it can not enable him to build a new house once the current one get demolished and therefore, I intend to use utmost 350 dollars to do this. On the other hand, my plan is to own oxen and ox plow to help me in upscaling my farming and to fulfill this, I estimate a cost of $300. The remaining amount will aid in supporting my children's education and this will mean a better future to my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening because I usually get ample time to rest from my busy day. Unlike in the morning and afternoon hours when I am required to do all the household chores something that drains much of my energy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of a reliable source of income is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life. Currently, I depend on my husband whose job is to tape coconut brew. This job is very risky since it requires him to climb the coconut trees thrice a day in order to get the wine. Despite being a hard task, it's income is generally low and it can not fully cater for our needs. This has forced us to miss some of the basic needs including better housing, schooling and even sometimes we skip our meals.
