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 9 in the evening when I had already retired to bed when I heard a very loud vibration from my phone. Since I am illiterate I asked my daughter-in-law to check where the message was coming from. After going through them, she realised that it was an Mpesa message from Segovia Technology. I felt extremely happy about this fortune and I couldn't sleep till dawn just thinking about how my life will change.
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 now have livestock( dairy cows and goats) that I am keeping in my compound. I have desired to keep it for so many years but I couldn't afford it because I have been encountering financial hardships. I however settled for them because they have numerous benefits which include sufficient milk among others. My wish is once the cows reproduce I will start selling the milk to the nearby dairy shops and generate an income. This money will enable me to cater for my family's daily needs since I am a jobless widow who has been depending on my children for the daily bread. Also with the goats, I will sell one or two and help my sons in paying school fees for their kids. I believe these are the most fruitful assets that I will never regret having. I am so grateful to GiveDirectly for this big support which has transformed us.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying two mattresses which were for my grandchildren and mine. This was basically to replace the previous one which had worn out. Later on, I purchased two goats and two dairy cows at KES 27000. These will be the valuable assets that I will readily lean on in case of any emergency. Additionally, I finally constructed a pit latrine. It is now a relief to my entire family because for all that long we have been using those of our neighbours and I felt its high time we have our own. I also used the remaining amount of money in buying foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My husband died ten years ago. He left me with a family of five members. Since then, I have been struggling to feed and educate the family. I am a casual laborer earning approximately KES 6000 per month. This money goes for food and paying school fees for my children. My husband did not leave back any investment that can help me raise the family. I will use KES 80000 to buy twenty goats as an investment. This will help me infuture in case of an emergency. I will also use KES 30000 to start a shop business. The whole village does shopping at Mariani center which is a bit far away. There is enough market for me to thrive in my business.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My family has now increased because two days ago, my daughter-in-law delivered a baby girl. The newborn has brought joy in my life.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My family has now expanded and I even have grandchildren but I do not have a stable source of income. I have not done agricultural activities for two years now due to a lack of rain. This has caused famine in our village. My family lacks food and we even take one meal per day. Lack of food is a challenge that I am currently facing.
