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 biggest difference in your daily life.
Constructing two houses has made our lives as a family so different. We enjoy privacy, we do not scramble for space when it comes to bedtime and also enjoys great shelter as we are no longer rained on. My children no longer fall sick because of the cold weather. These have happened courtesy of the transfers we received from GiveDirectly.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember receiving the message at around 5 am, I was expecting money yes from GiveDirectly but it still caught me by surprise as I have never had such an amount in my life before. I felt so happy and still feel happy looking back at the things I have managed to achieve through it.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I used to stay in a very tiny, dilapidated house with all my children who are now grown-ups. The house could not comfortably accommodate us. We did not have any privacy either. This was embarrassing and when I received money from GiveDirectly, I prioritized getting ourselves at least a more spacious house and being that my children are becoming of age and also need privacy, I constructed two houses. One for me and another for them. Both of us now enjoy our privacy which is important in life. I also spent part of the money on paying school fees for them too. Some of them had stopped going to school as we owed the school so much and negotiations with the school administration to keep them were not bearing fruits anymore. The little remaining I spent on purchasing a few foodstuffs for the family.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Our most urgent need at the moment is a bigger house that can accommodate all of us. We are a family of 9 members all squeezed under one room. Some of my children are now becoming teenagers so you can imagine the shame of a father sharing a bed with his teenage daughter. Secondly, I will invest in indigenous goats because they are more drought tolerant compared to cows. Lastly, I will save the remaining balance in my bank account for rainy days.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is early in the morning when I wake up to make my damplines for sale. This work gives me a sense of independence as am able to make my own money and help out with the needs of my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My main struggle in life is lack of finances to cater for my family's basic needs of food, education and shelter. What pains me the most is the house that we live in. It is too small to comfortably accommodate all 9 of us. I had to talk to my neighbor to allow some of my children to sleep at her house because it has more rooms. Also, the house is old and rusty, it leaks terribly during rainy seasons and leads to respiratory diseases among my family members. With my earnings from my small business of selling damplines, it will take years to build another house that is bigger.
