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 at a burial ceremony in the nearby village when I heard my phone buzz. I checked and saw that I had received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I quickly told my friend sitting next to me, and he was so happy for me. Even though it was a sad day, that moment brought me joy. When I got home, I shared the good news with my family, and my first thought was to use the money to buy food for them.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Our electricity bill went up, and I couldn’t afford to pay it, so the Kenya Power Company disconnected our power. We lived without electricity for three long months due to the accumulated debt, which was really tough. My sister struggled during the last holiday; she couldn’t read in the evenings or mornings like she used to, which affected her studies. To charge our phones, we had to take them to the center and pay for them, which was a hassle. But when I received my transfer from GiveDirectly, I cleared the bill, and now we can charge our phones at home. No longer being in the dark at night is a huge relief, and when my sister breaks for holiday, she can comfortably study at home again. Thank you, GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received my cash transfer, food was a big problem. My motorcycle job earned me $300, but my siblings depended on me to meet our daily needs, especially after our mom passed away 13 years ago. Our dad remarried and moved away with his new wife, only helping by paying my sister’s school fees. Unfortunately, my sister and I had to drop out of school because we couldn’t afford the fees. With the transfer, I bought food worth $60, and I also used $32 to pay our overdue electricity bill, which had been disconnected for three months. I gave our youngest sister, who is in high school, $20 for pocket money and another $20 to reduce her fee arrears of $300. The remaining $60 went toward buying clothes for all of us since the ones we had were worn out.
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access_time 3 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
The struggle of putting food on the table for my family six has pushed me to the wall. GiveDirectly's cash transfer rekindles my hope of living a better life. I am planning to spend my transfer to buy enough food for the family. I will also buy clothes for my two brothers and my sisters. I want to have an income generating asset, this will help me support my family without struggling a lot. I will use $520 of my second and third transfers to buy a motorbike. With the motorbike, I will be able to engage in transport services and earn money to support my loved ones. The remaining money will help me pay school fees for my sister Yvonne who is in Osen secondary school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Despite the unbearable life and financial struggle that I am going through, I feel motivated and happy that my sister Yvonne is performing better each and every day. From attaining grade C plain in January 2024 exams, she just got a B minus in her mid term exam last week. I feel that my struggle for paying her school fees is not in vain. This motivates me to work harder and support her dream of becoming a doctor.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Ten years ago, we lost our mother who was the sole breadwinner of the family. Our father took full responsibility until the year 2021 when he chose to have another family and left us in limbo. I had just completed my secondary school education, the situation forced me to take charge as the guardian of the family. This marked the beginning of the unending financial struggle. My sister Yvonne had just joined Osen secondary school and I understood the hard task of paying school fees. It is even worse considering that I do not have a stable source of income. I am a casual labourer earning about $3 a day. This makes my situation even more difficult, a week ago my sister reported back to the school after staying home for a long time. She had been sent back home to fetch school fees arrears.
