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?
My phone was off due to a power outage in my region and at exactly 10 AM the issue had been resolved and the power was back. Therefore I decided to change my phone since I was expecting a call from one of my relatives. In about thirty minutes tines, ib had to switch it on and confirm if there were any messages. The first notification that came in was from SEGOVIA TECHNOLOGY alerting me that it had finally received my first transfer. I felt so happy and blessed for the huge blessing in my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own goats that I am keeping in my compound. This has been my well thoughtful dream to won them but because they were too expensive I could not afford to purchase even one. I settled for goats because of the following reasons. One, they reproduce twice a year and the offspring normally mature faster. Also, their pasture is readily available and they require very minimal supervision, and at my age, I believe I will b able to take good care of them. I am certain that very soon I will have many of these and decide to start other projects through them. They now act as my security and I can confidently apply for a loan and be granted unlike before. I also believe the goats will facilitate my children's education and even sustain my family's needs once they increase n number.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer in buying 16 pieces of iron sheets at KES 900 each, also I bought building poles, nails, timber, and nails. This purely for the construction of a new house because the previous one was about to collapse and very small. I also gave the mason KES 6000, as his labor charge. In addition, I purchased livestock which includes two goats at a total of KES 6000. To add to that, I gave my son KES 20000 to settle his debt for the motorbike that he had previously purchased and the payment was done in installments.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been staying in an open structure that I covered its sides using old clothes and grasses because I lack money to construct a decent house. This has worried me for a long time because our area is bushy and sometimes we experience human-wildlife conflict. My intention once I receive this money is to spend a better part of my first transfer($350) to construct a decent house for me to protect myself from the dangers of wild animals and also to spare myself from the cold weather. On the other hand, I also plan to buy 8 goats so that I can have a long-term project that will help my family in the future, and to ensure this is possible, I intend to spend $300 of the second transfer. The remaining amount will help me to buy food for my family and also replace my beddings which are old and do not give me nice sleep.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I spend the better part of the day at the bush doing my charcoal burning work and this means staying away from home without eating. It is only in the evening when I come back home, that I get time to relax and get my dinner. At this moment, I usually feel happy because the resting re-energizes me a lot for the next day's work. Hence, the evening becomes the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband is very old and he can not support me in basic needs provision. This has forced me to assume his roles and I have to engage myself in doing odd jobs like charcoal burning in order to feed the family. This job is very tiresome and time-consuming yet it's income is very low and can not fully support us. Therefore, the lack of a decent and reliable job is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.
