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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
My current plan now is that when I fully recover, I will focus more on agriculture to plant maize. Through the profits I earn, I will purchase more sheep because they can survive in this weather condition. When they give birth and multiply, I will sell them in case of emergencies.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
One thing I appreciate about GiveDirectly is how you visit our households directly to see the life we live and the conditions of our homes. I admire your care, especially for the sick like me. May you continue with this compassionate approach, and may God give you strength to work even better. I don't see any areas where your company could improve.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For about a year, I have been sick with a condition causing loss of blood. I have been in and out of the hospital, receiving medication to boost my blood levels, but nothing seemed to work. I thank God because, when the money arrived, I was at the point of death, being taken by ambulance to a larger hospital. I spent $150 on medication there, and I thank GiveDirectly because I am now better. I haven't fully recovered, but I am much improved.After returning from the hospital, I spent $240 to buy iron sheets. I had been living in a house made of grass and mud, which leaked badly when it rained. The house isn't finished yet because I am still very weak and can't do much work. However, I will complete it once I fully recover.With the remaining amount, I paid my four kids' school fees. My husband is a farmer, but lately, we haven't harvested anything. We used to irrigate our fields with water from Lake Baringo, but the water level has dropped, making the lake too far away for us to use. Now, we rely on rainwater for farming. We mostly sell our farm produce to pay for school fees.I can proudly say that life has changed, and we truly appreciate GiveDirectly for helping us realize that there is a brighter future.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
18240 KES ($139 USD)
access_time 7 months ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
In the evening, I lay in bed, writhing in pain, desperate for some relief. As I tried to find solace in sleep, my phone, resting beside me, suddenly buzzed with an incoming message. Unable to move much due to the pain, I called out to my daughter Sharon, who was nearby, to come and help me read the message. Without hesitation, she rushed to my side and checked the message. With excitement, she exclaimed, "It is GD!" I had been expecting the money that month, but I never imagined it would arrive so soon. Overwhelmed with gratitude and lacking the words to express myself, I felt as though this was a divine intervention, a blessing sent to alleviate my suffering. Thanking God for this help, I made plans to travel to town the following day to seek medical attention, something I had been unable to do before.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Receiving the transfer has completely changed my life for the better. I now have more energy and can even eat, which was impossible before when I was really sick. Additionally, being able to buy food has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I do not have to rely on my under-18 children to do casual work to put food on the table, which always made me feel guilty like I was subjecting them to child labour. Though I am still not able to work myself, knowing that we have enough food for a while brings me a sense of relief.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I truly believe that the transfer was like a gift from above, sent just when I needed it most to ease my suffering. I had been sick for almost a month, with no signs of getting better. Because of the doctor's strike, I could not get help from the public dispensaries around, and I did not have the money to go to the hospital in town. I usually do casual work for a living, but I was too weak to do anything that month. When the transfer came, I felt a glimmer of hope. I used $5 to get to the hospital, where the consultation was free, but I used $30 for medicine. Thanks to the transfer, I am now feeling much better, and the pain is gone. With $35, I purchased a new mattress to replace the worn-out one, ensuring a comfortable rest. I also allocated $30 for toiletries and stationery for my daughter in secondary school, and $10 for a new uniform for my son in grade 8, replacing the torn one that caused him embarrassment among his friends. I used the remaining amount to buy food for my family of five
Enrolled
access_time 8 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Receiving this transfer means that my family will have decent housing, food secure and going back to farming as a long term investment. I intend to use $50 to sort out our immediate food insecurity issue, $450 to construct an all sided iron roof structure and the rest to invest in irrigation farming on the already reclaimed land. With cash, I will have all the necessary factors of production without going into debts. The long term effect is for my family to be food secure and at the same time have a reliable source of income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I have been owning an arable piece of land that had been heavily infested with the poisonous prosobis shrub. I did not have the man power or means to uproot them and convert my land into a useful one. Luckily an outsider came and requested me to lease the land to him for a season. As we speak, I am happy to say that my land is now under cultivation as I wait for the subsequent season to plant. Thanks to this person, my farm has now been reclaimed.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have three school going children i.e. one in primary and two in secondary levels. I am required to pay a total of $400 per annum as school fees. I am a casual labourer earning a daily wage of $4 which is insufficient to cater for all the basic needs of my household. Additionally, the unreliability of the casual tasks makes matters worse as on many occasions, I can find work twice in a week. As for the other days, I have to settle on burning charcoal to supplement on my family's needs. When catering for school fees becomes an uphill task, I am forced to depend on fundraising from friends and relatives.
