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?
It was so early in the morning. I had just woken up from the sleep, I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the family. I heard my husband calling me from inside, upon rushing to confirm what the matter was, I found him already celebrating about the Give Directly transfers, we were both happy about it as we had so many plans that needed financial break through.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that with the business of riding a motorcycle, my family hardly misses money for food. With the profits if atleast Kshs 500, our daily food is catered for daily, plus the savings for our son's school fees.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I started a new business with the transfers that I received. I used Kshs 45,000 to buy a second hand motorcycle ,for my husband to use as a rider. It is a good business with high demand, and in a day, we can get at least kshs 500 as the profit.
I used Kshs 10,000 to buy a bed and to replace the old and torn beddings, Since then, I have been sleeping comfortably with no worries, unlike before the transfers, When I had backache brought by sleeping on the floor.I thank Give Directly for the transfers as it has positively impacted the livelihood of my family at large.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Looking at the state is my house gives me sleepless nights. One side where our bedroom is situated has no roof which is very dangerous and can cause health hazards, especially during rainy seasons. My wish has always been to build a new one because the current one is beyond repair. The next project after this is to buy furniture and also spare some for my daughter's school fees. Putting up a new structure will cost me around 40,000 KES, then I will set aside 15,000 KES for beds and mattresses for the family, 10,000 KES for school fees, and save the remaining money as I think of a good project to start. Receiving these transfers will give me a reason to sleep soundly without worrying because I will be able to have a new house and my child will also study without any disruptions.
What is the happiest part of your day?
It is not easy in our community to find a girl finishing secondary school without either getting pregnant along the way or married because of one or two reasons. Mostly the early marriages occur because their parents have too much burden of responsibilities. Seeing my daughter making it to the final stage in secondary school has brought joy and happiness into my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I work at a quarry where I earn 400 KES, this money is not enough to take care of the family's needs, it also depends on the availability of the job. The inconsistency makes it difficult to feed my family daily without straining. My challenge is lack of enough finance to give my children the good life that they deserve and this sometimes stresses me a lot.
