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 money from GiveDirectly. it was around 6 am in the morning and one of my children is the one who informed me that we had received money from GiveDirectly. She had the phone with her and when she read the message and found out that we had indeed received the money, she came running to share the good news with me.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is the house that I built.i am a mother of four and I rely on a small business of charcoal selling to make income. This business has its own share of challenges and the amount of money that I normally get from it is hardly enough to meet the cost of basic household needs. I am so happy knowing that a dream of building a better house that would have taken much more time has now been realized.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used all of my recent transfer to build a new house for my family. We were living in a very small makuti thatched house and had always desired to build one for my family but which had been impossible due to little income that I got from my casual work. I am happy that the money helped me a great deal to realize this.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house is so tiny. Tiny to a point I cannot fit my whole family in it. I love having evening meals with my family but this is made impossible by the space that is supposed to host all six of us. I have had a dream to build a huge house so that after a long day, I get to sit with my family and unwind. I honestly do not care if all my transfers go to construction, I just need to expand this space. Not having to split my children between us will make me very happy.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When my husband came home from Kilifi, I felt so peaceful. He used to be away for long periods and I would miss him. It felt like he was missing out on our children's lives and milestones like first steps, first words etc. Much as we are struggling financially, I am glad he is home and have faith that he will start a business that will yield high returns.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Two years ago, my husband used to work as a retailer in Kilifi. After his father passed on in the year 2020, he had to come back home because there was no one to take care of things like livestock and the farm. Ever since we struggle financially because he only sells charcoal for a living. In Kilifi, his salary used to cater to most of our needs.
