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?
At the moment of receiving the money I was really overjoyed that I could not catch a sleep anymore. I had to celebrate alone since it was still dark no one was round then since my children were sleeping in a different house. I had to stay awake from the moment I confirmed receipt and early that morning I had to go and withdraw all the amount as I was afraid that it could be stolen.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life after receiving the transfer is the construction of a new house to the completion on a raised ground where we are no longer facing that flooding challenges whenever it rains. I am really thankful and praying for GiveDirectly in any other project they are yet to start in other villages.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving the transfer from Givedirectly I spent part of it on construction of a new house. We had to bring down the initial house were living in since we had been facing a lot of challenges over rainy seasons. We had to relocate and construct a new one on an a bit raised ground and currently everything is okay. With the remaining amount, we opted for a large water tank which we bought at a cost of 22000 KES. Over this season where there are a lot of rains, we had been collecting rain water and we are no longer frequenting the movements to and from the river. We are really thankful to GiveDirectly for making our long time dream come true.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to buy building materials.My spouse bought a small piece of land 3 kilometers from home and we have not been able to relocate.This place where our house stands now is swampy and during rainy seasons it floods.I will also buy a dairy cow with a part of it in order to have a sustaining means of income to meet my family's everyday needs
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening.This is the time that my spouse has returned home from his motorbike business with some food for the family.We then sit and chat together with our children as I prepare the evening meal.This makes me very happy
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have faced is having to spend every little income we get in buying food.We have been experiencing prolonged periods of drought in this area and have not had a harvest in a long time.We are therefore forced to buy from maize traders even though we have a small piece of land which would otherwise sustain us.
