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 around 7 AM when I was taking breakfast with my family when my mobile phone started ringing. My son decided to check only to confirm it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I was so happy and I immediately changed the day's program and started planning how I would utilize the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having my own dairy cows at my homestead makes the biggest difference in my daily life. I have been yearning to rear them for so long but due to the poverty life that had stricken my household, I could not afford it. Currently one has started producing milk which makes me more hopeful and happier. I am planning to sell them milk and get an income and the few liters that will remain will be for my family's consumption. In a few months to come, I will have a good number of liters of milk to sell from the other cow. I will no longer have to struggle to cater to my family's needs like I used to do.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some livestock such as two dairy cows at a total of KES 29000. These have been my well thoughtful living assets for so long but I could not afford to purchase them because of my financial status. I then bought some building materials such as iron sheets, building poles, timber, and nails. This was purposely for the construction of a new decent spacious house. The previous one was in poor condition with some grass-thatched roof which was ever leaking during the rainy seasons. In addition to that I bought a solar panel at KES 3000, which is now helping my children at night in their studies, apart from that I also use it to charge my mobile phone and those of my neighbors at a fee. The little amount of money that remained, I bought enough foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means food security in my home. I plan to purchase oxen and an ox plough at a cost of 48,000 shillings to expand my farming hence increasing my yields. To top it, I will invest in a livestock trading business which is quite a lucrative deal in our area to earn extra income for the family for education and other financial needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My best moments are in the evening when my whole family is back home from work and school. This is because I spend most days at home alone since I can't resume work as at now.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship has been my wife and I's poor health. For the past 7 years I struggled with prostate issues while my wife had to undergo a stomach surgery recently. This hindered us from sufficiently meeting our needs such as food and education for our children because most of our finances were consumed my medical bills.
