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 was awakened by the loud vibrations from my mobile phone. I curiously checked who it could be at such an hour. After confirming it was an Mpesa fromGiveDirectly, I became very happy for I knew I will benefit a lot from the money.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having the two dairy cows which I am currently rearing in my compound brings the biggest difference in my daily life. I have really been willing to have them in my homestead but they were too expensive for me. These are the well thoughtful assets that I can readily lean on in case of financial difficulties. I am expecting them to reproduce and I will soon have many of them. This will enable me to sell milk and get an income which I will be able to pay school fees without struggling like before. I am extremely thankful to GiveDirectly because I would not have purchased any at my own cost if t were not for the support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying livestock such as dairy cows. This has been my long time desire but I could not afford it because of my low income. I also paid school fees in advance for my children who are still in primary school. Thus will make them study peacefully without being sent home to collect fees like before. The remaining amount, I bought sufficient foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My biggest desire has always been to adequately meet my children's needs -providing them with quality education, better health care, and proper nutrition. However, my husband and I have been struggling with meager earnings that we get from casual jobs. And because better employment opportunities are hard to come by, such desires have remained to be mere wishes. Luckily, the entry of Give Directly into our village has rekindled those long lost desires. Accordingly, we will start up a kiosk business that will earn us a reasonable income to sustain our family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day. This is the time when my children are back from school. They help me with dinner preparations, and this moment also serves as a catch up time on how the day has been.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of adequate finances has been the biggest hardship in life, my husband is a palm oil extractor, and his income is barely enough to meet our needs. And because I have 7 young children to care for, I get less time to effectively engage in any meaningful work that can support him. Mostly, it is my husband whom we solely depend on. This has resulted in a constant state of financial crises and consequently, my children have stayed out of school on numerous occasions. On the other hand, food insecurity has been an endless problem.
