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?
Receiving the transfers lighted my heart and I filled with the utmost joy. This was an assurance that the plan to settle school fees payment for my two children was finally with us. On informing my children, they too were so happy especially my daughter who had just received an admission letter to join a new school. She could not believe that it was possible for her as all her elder siblings attended the local schools since we were not having enough money to take them to the schools of their choice.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the great joy currently in our family. My children are all satisfied after I addressed all their needs and assuring them that their school-going days will soon be better. For the first time, I honored the admission letter sent to my daughter. This changed the story in our household as everyone expected us to seek an opportunity in the local school as we have always lost opportunities in a good school that we could not afford.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the transfer, I spent 40000KES on school fees for my two children. I used 15000KES out of the allocation on paying the college fee for my son, and the other 25000KES saved as my daughter will soon be joining grade 9. I spent the remaining on buying household goods and I was so grateful that the decision to settle school fees for my children after receiving the transfer happened. I a,m currently looking forward to the second transfer which I too will use in other new projects.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I couldn't wait for GiveDirectly to work in my village and I am so grateful and excited now that I have been enrolled. My third born son completed his secondary school education 2 years ago and I haven't had money to take him to college since. Thanks to GD, receiving this money will see him join college to peruse a course of his dreams as a teacher.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning. My cows produce the most milk at this time unlike when I milk them in the evening. This usually is an assurance that my family will get a meal after sale of this product.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a semi arid area, my farm is close to a rocky surface whose fertility is so poor. My family has gone a long time without cultivating maize for consumption, making us only rely on our two cows for survival. When we sell the 3 litres of milk they produce, we get about Kshs 150 –only enough for the day's meal. With an income as paltry as this, two of my children have stayed home for the last two years with no finances to continue their studies. This has been my biggest hardship.
