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?
The moment I received my transfer, I felt happy because I knew that I was going to off set some of the debts I had and have some food for my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the fact that I can now sleep under a decent shelter. Having no stress about a debt. All the happiness I got is as a result of Give Directly's financial support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a large portion of my first transfer to repay a debt which I had taken to pay school fees for my children. I had decided to take a loan so as to clear school fees for my children to be allowed to stay at school as they had been sent home more often. This was the only way I had to avoid my being sent home completely. as I couldn't afford to pay their school fees. The remaining portion I spent on buying some building materials for house construction, food items which would sustain us for about a month and buy some clothes for myself and children.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have two kids who are still schooling; one in secondary level and the other one in primary level. I intend to use part of my first transfer of $400 to clear the fee balance for the whole year of the one in secondary level since this is his final year. I will use the remainder of my first transfer together with my second transfer to construct a house that is spacious enough and has adequate rooms for my two sons to study in. I will also furnish it with household items and some part of it buy food and clothes for the three of us.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Most of my daytimes are spent in my farm doing farm work. I carryout weeding, planting/transplanting new crops and harvesting the already ripe ones. The happiest part of my day arises during the evening when I get bumper harvest for the already ripe produce. This always brings extra motivation to continue doing farming on that farm.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a single mum still having two kids who are schooling. One is in secondary level while the other is in primary level. With no job/regular source of income, fending for them has been an uphill task for me. I made a promise to myself to ensure that I see all of them through their education plans and that promise is still alive. Paying their school fee has never been an easy task for me since I solely rely on proceeds from my small piece of farm to do this. Sometimes I take some produce to school as part of school fee payment but its still not enough to fully cater for their other necessities.
