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?
It was around 3a.m in the morning when I was woken by a notification on my phone. Upon checking, it was the first transfer I had been waiting for from Give Directly. I was so excited after confirming the receipt of the transfer which would bring about the finishing of the construction that we had begun. I thank God for the support that Give directly has given to our family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my household is owning of a heifer.It will soon gives us adequate milk for consumption and we can later sell the surplus.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Having received the first transfer, I bought a good breed of a heifer worth Kshs.23,000 which was about to calf which to me brought good news because we could soon increase the production of milk without any scarcity. I also bought iron sheets, nails, and timber to complete the house we had begun to construct and this cost me Kshs.15,000.With the remaining amount, I used to buy food and clothes for all my household members.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
This money will set me up for life.I am a widower and since my husband passed on November last year, life has been so unbearable. Our intention was to live a normal life as circumstances allowed.I have had to endure the agonizing pain of raising my two children alone. It is not easy to fend for them. In our society ,by all means one must own a cow even if it means borrowing it. It is the mainstay of our livelihood. I have one which belong to my neighbour. Recently,he has shown the intention of selling it , this transfers is a perfect timing since I will be able to buy it. I intend to use KES 38000 to purchase the cow. I will use the rest of the money to build another kitchen as the kipsigis culture demands. When the household head passed on, the house must be demolished to signifies the death of the household head.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Around August I was given a dairy cow by a neighbour to keep for him. The cow had just calved and it assisted me a great deal. It gave me a hedge over. I have been milking 2 litres per day. I sell 1 liter in the morning at a cost of KES 40 and use the evening milk for household consumption. I saw this as a God send. It gave me a push over and set me for prosperity albeit in a small way, but it is much better than none .
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Indeed deep wound was inflicted on me since I lost my dear husband at such a young age. I dream that one day those wounds might heal and become sources of good. I wished it never happened to me , I had wished fiercely to believe that this painful family tragedy was only a nightmare or bad dream. I face a myriad of challenges and I live a life of struggle. The the center cannot hold anymore . Life seemingly have lost meaning to me. The major challenge is inadequate finance to cater for my children needs such food and clothing.
