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 had taken my phone to charge and the moment I switched on, the first message I received was a confirmation that I had received KES 55000 from Give Directly. I felt so happy and immediately rushed to my spouse who was out looking after the cattle to inform him about the money. He was happy too and thanked Give Directly for the support.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is having bought the piece of land for farming. We mostly rely on farming but since we did not have a farm we were limited to only a small piece that we could afford to lease. Now that we have a bigger farm we are hoping to get a good harvest that can feed my family for a whole year and even sell the surplus. We shall also save on the cost of leasing land for farming.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We had a small piece of land that we inherited from our parents and it could only fit our house leaving us with nowhere to for farming. Every year we could lease some piece of land farming but this was so expensive. We therefore bought a piece of land at cost of KES 40000 for farming. In addition, my daughter who is in primary boarding school had been sent back home for school fees, so I cleared the fee balance which was worth KES 10000. I am glad she was able to go back to school, and she will finally concentrate on her studies. Part of the money I spent on foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means acquisition of additional assets to my family.I plan to buy 2 acres of land in the neighboring county.The piece of land I own now is small and unproductive.This is because the area is full of rocks and hence prone to drought when the rains fail for along time.Buying this land means I can plant and harvest better yields which will earn me more incomes and enough food for my family.With KES 44000 I shall be able to settle the debt and fully own the piece of land.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The purchase of a piece of land in the neighboring county has given me joy in the past 6 months.I was able to buy a piece of land from the savings accrued from my motorcycle services and some additional loans. This makes me happy because I foresee a good harvest that will enhance food security in my family and more revenue .
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
For along period of time drought has affected our area resulting in food insecurity. Yields from our farms have been decreasing for the past 6 years . This has affected our investment because whatever we earn from the motorcycle transport services is spent on food and other household items.Financal instability has also become a challenge because of this low yields.
