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 felt so happy the moment I received the money from GiveDirectly. I had heard people earlier that day claim that they had received theirs and I asked one of my children to check and he confirmed that I had indeed received money. I felt so happy that I was finally going to be able to build a better house that I had always dreamt of.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is that I am now a very happy soul. Having built a new house that I never though I would build anytime soon really gives so much joy. Right now I can feel very comfortable to welcome any visitors in my home and host them comfortably.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 50000 to build a totally new house and used the remaining amount to buy food for my family. The house that I living in was grass thatched and very old with a leaking roof. I never had the ability o accumulate enough money before since I entirely depend on subsistence farming to feed my family. I am a widower and everything is dependent on me. Age is slowly but surely catching up with me too and I can do very little to make income for me and family. I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for holding my hand.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means an improved dwelling. I live in a shanty yet I am getting old and unable to work and earn some cash. All my children are grown-ups now and they are busy fending for their families; I don't want to burden them to build me a new house. I intend to build a better house with the help of my son and therefore, I am unable to estimate the cost of putting up a better one. Living in an improved house will rejuvenate my life. What a better way of enjoying the sunset age of my life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Even though I am getting old, I spend my morning hours in my garden where I have grown maize and bananas. I especially do weeding and harvesting while looking after my two goats. I spend my afternoon hours doing household chores before fetching water and firewood in the evening. Having time to relax in the evening after a tiresome day is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
A prolonged period of drought has been the biggest hardship I have faced in life. Over the past 10 years, we have been experiencing minimal rainfall in our region and this has affected crop production. I have a small garden of approximately 0.2 acres of land where I have grown bananas and maize for domestic use. Initially, we used to cultivate 0.7 acres of land but due to changes in climatic condition, this has reduced to only 0.2 acres of land.
