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?
The moment I received the transfer I felt so happy. I remember it was around 9am when I heard a message tone from my phone. Then immediately I heard my neighbors celebrating and saying that they have received the transfer from GiveDirectly. I called my child to check it for me. I felt so happy because I have never received such amount of money before. We all celebrated with my children at home. I knew I would be able to buy a dairy cow. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has changed our living standards.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I have purchased a dairy cow. I used to buy milk daily and this was so costly for me. I depend on small scale farming to earn an income. The amount that I would get through this is so small and I was not able to save to buy a dairy cow. I had always wished to buy a dairy cow but I didn't had the money. When I received the transfer I felt so happy because I found this as an opportunity to invest on dairy cow. Currently I no longer stress up like before. I am so grateful for the support because GiveDirectly has enabled me to fulfilled my wishes. I hope to improve this in the future and even build to a greater level.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 30,000 to buy a daily cow. I used to buy milk daily and this was so costly for me. I also purchased a piece of land at the cost of 20,000. This is a gracing field for my goats. The rest of the money I spent on food and clothes. I am so grateful because were it not GiveDirectly all this could not have happened.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been struggling to survive as an old and sick peasant farmer. As such, receiving this money means that I shall afford to get some medical attention - I am partially deaf and suffering from arthritis. I will use a junk of the transfer on my medication. Besides, I will pay the activation fee for my medical cover that has ceased to be functional because I could not afford to raise the monthly subscription of KES 500. Overall, this money will revive my well-being, thus restoring my capability to effectively handle my farming activities.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Morning hours act as the happiest part of my day because I am always delighted and thankful to God for His mercies. As an aged and ailing person, seeing a new day is a great blessing.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Suffering from arthritis has been the biggest hardship I have faced in life. The ailment has forced me to abandon my business of trading on cereals within my locality. Besides, I am ineffective and inefficient while handling my farming tasks due to the sickness. As a result, I am somehow dependent on my children for livelihood.
