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 daily life is that I have paid school fees for my children. I depend on the casual jobs in the village to earn an income to meet all the basic needs and pay part of the school fees for my children in school. Getting this casual jobs sometimes was a big challenge. My children would be sent home to collect the school fees and because I did not have the money ready they could stay home for some time which was affecting their performance in school. When I received the money fro GiveDirectly I cleared paying the school fees and my children was not sent home. This led to an improvement in performance and even gave me peace of mind to do my daily duties at home without any worry. I'm so happy because I have devoted most of my time to my farm unlike before where casual jobs were the priority.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The moment when I received my money I felt so happy. I remember it was around 6 AM in the morning when I heard a message notification on my phone. When I checked it I could not believe my eyes because I have never received such amount of money before. I knew I will be in a position to pay school fees for my children.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent my first transfer to pay school fees for my two children in secondary school. This was the biggest challenge that I had at that particular moment. I also bought a heifer and the rest of the money I used it to buy food and sofa set seats.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will enable me build another house.My spouse and I have planned that since we have a thatched kitchen and with the scarcity of grass for repair from time to time,it will be better for us to build another main house so that the current one acts as a kitchen.With the amount that remains,we will build a poultry house and buy some chicken so that through this venture we can earn a small income to meet our daily needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiness on any particular day depends on the ability to get a manual job for the day.There are days when I fail to and on these days I have nothing to offer my family.As a household head,this is very demeaning for me.On those days when I have secured a job,I leave home early to work on it and by mid-day I get my pay for the day which I bring home for my wife to purchase foodstuff.On such days am very happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
For the past seven years,I have not had a good maize harvest.Maize is our staple food and it is what my family depends on.There has been maize crop disease that has wiped out the crop year in year out.This has exposed my young children to hunger.To avoid this,I have had to do casual jobs in people's farms .However much I try,the money I earn is never enough to feed my family of six.This is the biggest hardship I have faced.
