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 biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I feel so proud and happy because I have a house which is the greatest achievement I have ever had in life. Everyone in the village used to talk ill of us, and they believed we would never own a house. I'm so happy I managed to put to shame those who used to look down upon me and thought I'd never own a house in my life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 5:00 am when I was awoken by the vibration of the phone. Upon checking it was a confirmation message that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I felt so happy and at that point, I felt that all the worries of lacking a house were solved.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
When GD was working in our village I was enrolled in an abandoned house belonging to the Kenya railways company because we couldn't afford to construct a house since we did not have a stable source of income. My spouse who is the primary earner does casual work and the income he earns out of it can only cater for food for the family. The moment when we received the first transfer we used part of it to purchase building materials which we have already used to construct a house. I'm happy and proud I have a decent spacious house. We didn't have comfortable bedding, and we could sleep on a papyrus mat which was so uncomfortable sleeping on. So a portion of the money we used to purchase a mattress and a bed and I'm happy we can now sleep comfortably.
Enrolled
access_time over 6 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a big step in life. Right now I am living in a rental house, I plan build a house and start a new business of selling utensils to the community.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when washing my clothes. I like being in a clean environment.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life was lack of school fees to cater for my educational needs. This has made me to get into an early marriage. I do feel bad when I meet my school mates who went ahead with their studies and are now employed.
