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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a piece of land which will be a future dwelling for my children. I have lived on my parents compound for many years and my wish was to see my children having their own land and build a home. My house was in a pathetic condition and I couldn't afford even to renovate it. I thus took a portion of the money to buy enough building materials which include iron sheets, timber and nails to renovate it. I also purchased a new door and fixed it in my house. In addition to this, I also bought a heifer which is an asset to me. I spent the remaining amount to buy some foodstuffs and paying for other household expenses.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have been living with my children at my parents compound. My desire was to buy my own land and build a home for my family since my culture does not allow women to inherit the land. Due to the financial hardships I am facing and being that I am a single mother, I lacked the resources to buy my own land. When I received my transfer, I fulfilled this as my priority and acquired the land. I feel this is the biggest difference in my daily life because my children will have their own place to build their homes besides being an asset to me.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 6 AM in the morning. I was preparing breakfast for my children when I heard my phone ringing. I immediately asked my helper to confirm who might have sent a message at such an hour. Upon checking, she realized it was an Mpesa message confirming that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I was overjoyed because they had finally honoured their promise to us.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband left me with eight children that I had to raise single handedly. Since then my job has been burning charcoal and the much I get is 1000 shillings a month. This situation made it difficult to educate them and only one managed to complete primary education. This forced my daughters to get married at a tender age because life was very difficult at home. My sons are working as casual labourers and they are suffering too. I feel like I failed as a parent but there is nothing I could do about it. All this resulted from lack of from support my spouse.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning as I wake up fully of energy. This gives me strength to undertake my duties no matter how difficult they are. The motivation towards this hard work is providing for my children.
What does receiving this money mean to you?
After separating with my husband, I returned to my maternal home. By then my mother was still alive and she gave me a piece of land. However, after her death conflicts began to arose and there are some threats from our extended family that I don't deserve the place. I live in fear of eviction yet I have children to fend for. To avoid further problems, I plan to use part of this transfer to purchase my own land. This will give me peace of mind and security since there will be no feuds.