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?
I was in my house preparing for my usual day's activities when I heard the message notification on my phone. Being illiterate, I called my helper who confirmed it was the transfer I had been waiting for. I felt very happy for receiving my transfer. I had to wait until the next day to withdraw my transfer because the Mpesa shop was located far away from our home.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Able to meet my daily needs like food and water without a lot of struggle is the biggest difference in my daily life. This is because I was able to start a motorbike taxi with my transfer. At the moment, I am earning an income of $5 per day through which I am able to meet daily needs more easily.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent $300 to purchase a second-hand motorbike which will assist me in fetching water from the nearby water pan since we are experiencing drought in our village. We are forced to walk for 4 hours to get this important commodity in our life. In addition, I engaged it in a motorbike taxi which is earning me an income of at least 5 dollars per day. Furthermore, I spent $35 to purchase food for the family since we did not have food for the family. I am also planning to invest the remaining amount in boosting my goat rearing activities by purchasing 5 more goats.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means food security for my family. To ensure that my family has an assured regular supply of food, I'm planning to use the transfer to buy enough food for my family. I will also buy an ox-plough to increase the piece of land I till on so as to boost my productivity in the farm. I only till 3 acres of land every season and the produce is 4 bags of maize. However, with the availability of the ox-plough, I can till upto 10 acres each season which assures my family 12-14 bags of maize.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening. This is the time I take a rest after a long day working in the forest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced in my life is food insecurity. Sometimes we are forced to skip lunch not because we are not hungry but because we have nothing to cook.
