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 money from GiveDirectly. I received the money at around 6:30 pm but my phone was off. When I switched on my phone, I was met with a pleasant surprise- that from GiveDirectly. I could not believe my eyes and had to call on one of my neighbours who confirmed and affirmed to me that indeed that was money sent from GiveDirectly. I could not wait for the following day to withdraw the money but I withdrew it almost immediately since there was a lot of rumours that the money could be swapped if it stayed in Mpesa for long. We already had made up our minds on what we needed to do with the money and therefore there was no delays in using the money neither were there any forms of disagreements.
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 am now more independent financially than I was before receiving payments from GiveDirectly. Having bought a dairy cow has meant that the sale of milk it produces and the cutdown on spending on things such as milk has greatly improved our living standards as a family. All along I have been reliant on subsistence farming which is largely dependent on prevailing weather conditions. My husband who works as a casual in the city largely supports us in paying school fees for our two children while I struggle to raise enough money to feed the family. I feel happy that the money that I got has been a great boost to me and my entire family.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 8000to buy furniture and a water tank for my household. Another KES 8000 was used to buy food for the family and Kes 20000 was used to buy a dairy cow. I was also able to buy a smartphone worth Kes 7000 and the remainder was used to buy clothes for my children. The decision to buy a dairy cow was because this is one of the main economic activity in our area and which will see me and my family be in a position to easily make ends meet. I had not been able to accomplish some of the things that I accomplished because I normally rely on farming which is largely subsistence and getting such huge amount of money to invest can proof to be tough. I am proud that I was able to finally invest the money in the ways I did and I am looking forward to making my life and that of my family better going forward .
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money will enable us to achieve our ambition of purchasing a dairy cow of our own. We are blessed with 2 boys who are still young and depend on milk for their proper growth and development. The cow we have at the moment is not ours, it belongs to my brother-in-law and he had shown the intention of selling it but we implore him to allow us up to the time when we can purchase our own. In our society, not owning a cow is highly frowned upon, we are so disgraced about the situation since we have no money to purchase one.We are so elated that at last, our dream of owning a dairy cow will come to pass with the help of Give Directly. We intend to purchase a dairy cow worth KES 30000 and use the rest of the money to buy a water tank.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last month my husband got a job in Nairobi as a security officer and it gave us a lot of joy. Life has not been easy and we have been struggling to make ends meet. We had been praying to God to open the door of employment for him and finally, last month was the time we had been waiting, he was given the job offer and he took it up wholeheartedly. I am so hopeful that our lives will be better and that our standard of living will improve.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Food security is a major problem that we face at the moment. Since the outbreak of the lethal maize necrosis disease we have been buying maize for consumption in the nearby Chebunyo market at KES 100 per 2 kg. Towards the end of last month, the cost of living has gone up, and the maize commodity which we use to buy shots up from KES 100 to KES 140 per 2Kg. It is a real struggle to put food on the table nowadays. We are so devasted and anguished by the situation and we do not see it becoming better any soon.
