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 my life is the happiness I have, having paid college fee for my son. I used to do casual work so as to pay fee but the transfer made my burden light. I used to save little by little for up a month so as to get something meaningful for the fee. GiveDirectly transfer enabled me to clear the arrears that were there and I am happy about this.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was happy to receive funds from GiveDirectly and I cannot complain at all. I withdrew the cash same day of receipt and spent it thereafter.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent the first transfer from GiveDirectly to buy a cow and pay tuition fee for my son's plumbing course in a technical college. I had planned to spend the funds in this manner, so when I received it I executed my plans. The cow will give us milk in three months hence we will have enough for consumption because what we currently have is barely enough for us.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a rekindled hope in my life. I am planning to buy a donkey so as to start a maize vending business. I am going to leverage on the nearby open air markets and towns. I also intend to add a second dairy cow to my paddock as this will see my two children through school and provide a meal for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening when interacting with my children. They are my source of joy and hope after the death of my wife. Coming home to them with their needs makes me so happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I lost my wife of 22 years. We were living happily until she was diagnosed with malignant uterus cancer in 2011 at the Kaplong Mission Hospital. I went from hospital to another seeking medication. I sold my properties, travelled to yonder places as far as I heard I could find cure. The height of this ordeal was when I sold our 3 acre piece of land to go see a renowned herbalist with my sickly wife in Tanzania. None of my incessant efforts bore fruit. She passed on in 2014 leaving me and my three children hopeless, poor and downtrodden. I would later recover from dementia triggered by the trauma of losing my wife. This is the biggest hardship I have faced in my life. I have since bought a half an acre land with the help of my brothers and the little dues I could get from casual jobs.
