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?
It was exactly 7 AM when I was washing some clothes then my phone started ringing so loudly. I became nervous and decided to check who might have sent the message. Upon checking the content of the message, I realized it was an mpesa message from GiveDirectly. My heart was filled with joy and up to date I just see it as a dream.
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 now own a pair of oxen that I believe will be helpful in making my farming productive. I am assured of ploughing my farm timely since the pair can take just a few days to clear an acre as compared to using my own effort. I am also expecting to get an increased harvest as compared to the previous seasons. Apart from this, I will also hire them to my neighbours during the planting season at a fee thus getting an income to help me sustain my family needs without straining.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some building materials such as sand, bags of cement and bricks. This was majorly for the renovating of my house since it was semi-permanent, I wanted it to be more decent. I then bought a pair of oxen purposely for my agricultural activities. In addition, I bought some new school uniforms for my children and cleared their fees in advance. To add on this I bought two mattresses to replace the old ones that I had been using. The remaining amount of money I am using it in buying some foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means purchasing livestock for rearing. This is because I do not have any source of income and I depend entirely on my spouse. Since I cannot engage in any formal work because of my illiteracy I believe this project is the only way towards a better tomorrow. The major reason behind this is to give my children a bright future. I will therefore be selling these animals to generate funds for their education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am always a happy person despite all the mysteries of life. This is due to my outgoing nature and I have a very strong network of friends. Our interaction gives me joy and my day is always cheerful.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband and I never went to school and this has negatively impacted our life. There is no way we can get quality jobs and the much we can offer is casual labour. It is hard to earn enough from these jobs thus making it difficult to take care of our children. The most hurtful thing is that I cannot even raise 1400 shillings for their academics. I believe all this suffering is as a result of illiteracy which I consider my biggest hardship.
