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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
Were it not for GiveDirectly I would being going through the same financial issues I have had over the years because my only job is farming for my family. This funds have given me an extra source of income and I plan on using it wiself and even catering for the school fees of my kids.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have always wanted to own more livestock in my farm and so when I received the money I thought to myself that adding more livestock would be more appropriate for me, so I went ahead and bought a goat and put in my farm. The whole point in doing so was that I could have it breed and eventually have more goats to rear and maybe later on sale in case of any emergency or difficulty in finances. The goat cost about KES 2,800 and I was left with about KES 200 which I used to purchase two packets of maize flour with.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was home that day because I retired around a decade ago so most of my days I spend it from home and that morning is when the message came in that the money had arrived and I was very ecstatic because I had no idea I would receive anything that day plus I had got some money and in my situation I was definitely going to be happy about it and still am to this date.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
There has not been quite a huge difference as of yet but I put my project of livestock farming into action so that was most definitely a plus, and apart from that I intend of paying tuition for my kids the next time to avoid them missing classes and also manage to get myself a bed and mattress because I sleep on the ground and have been for the longest time.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving the money which was KES 1,200 since I had previously taken a phone, I went ahead and bought a goat which cost the exact amount of money just because I had wanted to start rearing and breeding goats for quite some time, and the reason being to benefit me mostly economically in order to cater for the needs of my family especially to pay tuition fee for the children. Due to the fact that I barely work due to my old age apart from the times where I work in the farm to provide nutrition for the family, and being that I have five children who are still in school not having a job does not make it easy. As we speak at this moment two of my children have actually not been to school for two days in a row because of the debts they have and I have no money, that is why I started by buying the goat because after it breeds and produce I could sell them and pay for certain bills in my home especially school fees and have a form of sustainability.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My desire for a long time has always been to have a bigger plus a bed house where my children and grandchildren can sleep whenever they come visiting. I have never slept on a bed before and the first thing I will do with these transfers is to buy a bed. The bed will cost me around 4000KES and since I will be getting 3000KES per month I plan to save for two months then buy the bed. The plan I have after buying the bed is to continue saving as I buy building materials in bits then later build a bigger house for my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The struggles have been too much for my family but I thank God that I have never slept on an empty stomach.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of money is the biggest challenge that I currently face. As a father, it saddens my heart when I see my children struggle to buy food for me and my wife just because I do not have means of survival.
