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 felt so happy the moment I received the transfer since I had never held such a huge amount of money. I definitely knew that my long time dream of constructing a decent house is now achievable.
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. This is because the previous one had collapsed and I used to stay with my relatives which was so stressful. My heart is at peace now because my family has enough rooms to use unlike before whereby we used to seek from relatives. I also have an extra room whereby I can host my visitors whenever they want to spend the night at my home. This has brought joy in my life since I never thought of accomplishing all this using my own money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying some building materials which include iron sheets, building poles, timber, ropes, and nails. This was was purposely for the construction of a new house since the previous one had collapsed because of its poor state. I later bought some livestock such as goats as my living assets that I can lean on in the future. I also spent KES 5000, of the transfer on paying the mason as his labor charge. The remaining amount of money, I am using it buying some enough foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house looks new by look at the roof but super structure-wise, it's not conducive for my safety because the backside is collapsing. My wish has been to repair it but due to financial constraints, I have never managed to do this. The cash grant from GiveDirectly that I am about to receive has renewed my hopes since I am now confident that I will be able to reinforce it using stones and possibly cementing the floor. To do this, I intend to use the utmost $300 of my first transfer. I also plan to start livestock keeping as my long term project and my intention is to begin with 6 goats at $30 each. The other remaining amount will support my grand children's education and other basic needs like food.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening becomes my happiest part of the day because I usually share a meal with my grandchildren. The talks and laughter with them drive away my stress and this gives me the feeling of happiness.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Since I am a widow, I depend on charcoal burning as the only hope for my living. This job is very tedious and considering my age, it is no longer reliable because I always complain of body distress. Therefore, the lack of a dependable source of income is my biggest hardship.
