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 because I had received something that was going to help me address the challenges I was facing especially school fees for my children, house and food. I was so happy and grateful when I received the money from GiveDirectly.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the fact that we now get regular meals and my children's education will never be disrupted since the school fees were fully paid. I also have the house I desired for so long, and that makes me so proud and grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my transfer which was KES 40000 on building a bigger and better house for my family and I because the one we were living in previously was so small and uncomfortable for our sizeable family, and I felt as well as desired to have a better place which would be considered as a house where people live and mistaken or confused with a makeshift home. I am so happy and proud, now that I am about to have the house of my dreams which will keep us safe for years to come. I also spent KES 5000 for my four children's school fees, who are still in lower and mid primary school because they used to be regularly sent home for school fees arrears and their education was constantly disrupted which used to make me so sad and unhappy. Therefore, I am so grateful to GiveDirectly, for I was able to settle the school fees arrears and paid for the following term as well. I did this because I believe in education, not only for them but also for me as well since I know that with a good education, they will find employment and inturn I'll be able to count on them for financial assistance in the future.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been having a dream to have a good house in my life but this dream has never been successful because of the economic conditions we have been expiriencing in my house for the last 10 years. Our area is a drought persistent area and we depend on a charcoal making business which is very straneous and it's revenue cannot serve us both for our daily meals and meet other expenses like building a new house. I am a mother of 7 children of which 2 are in secondary school and both my husband and I depend on the same job of charcoal making business. Receiving this money means I will fulfill my dream of having a 2 bedroomed house roofed with iron sheets, unlike this one thatched with grass. I will have my own bed room and another one for my daughters. I will spend 60,000 KES to build the house , 20,000 KES for food so that I can relieve myself from the straneous job of cutting logs for charcoal business. I will spend 30,000 KES to buy goats to keep as my family's wealthy since they do well in my area than cattle.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning I have to think of how I will feed my family. I move to the forest to cut trees, plan my work and also look for someone to buy my charcoal. If the charcoal are not ready , then I have to look for someone to lend me some money so that I can feed my family in the evening while I wait to get a customer for my charcoal. When it reaches in the evening , I have got money from my business or lent from someone for my family's supper and this is the time I take a rest from my straneous job. My happiest part of the day is in the evening when I am done with my straneous job and enjoying my super with my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I am facing in life is food insecurity. We are living in areas where the rain comes once in a year or more than 3 years and we depend on subsistence farming. We currently depend on charcoal burning business as a substitute in order to get food for the family. The revenue we earn from this business is very low of which it cannot accommodate all the needs of my house. we have to skip some meals in order to survive with my 7 children.I drink porridge in the morning and enjoy a good meal in the evening with my children.
