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 3:00 pm that day and I had just taken my lunch. I was alone at home relaxing when I heard my phone ring. I could not believe my eyes when I checked my phone and found out that I had indeed received a sum of KES 55000 from GiveDirectly. I immediately informed one of my children and she was equally happy having received hers around the same time. To me God had come through to help me accomplish things that I always hoped to accomplish but to which I would not have had the capacity to do so anytime soon. I felt so happy that finally I was going to be able to build a new house and furnish the house and live comfortably thereafter. I immediately got down to work as there was no time to waste.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having received money from GiveDirectly has meant that I am living a more stress free and a happier life. I have moved away from overeliance of my my children to provide me with basic commodities and I feel that even my self esteem has been raised. I feel happy that I have been able to accomplish the things that I have always hoped for and which I would not have accomplished anytime soon were it not for GiveDirectly. The fact that I am a happier person than I was before receiving this money is the biggest difference in my daily life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used part of my recent transfer to build a new house. For a long time I had stayed in a grass thatched house and I always yearned for a better house. With my situation, I could no longer do any hard jobs that would earn me money and I even relied on support from my children to get money for food. I used KES 30000 to build an iron roofed house which is now complete. The remaining amount of KES 20000 was used to buy furniture and other basic household needs including food and clothes. At least I have been able to give a break to my children to concentrate on their own families having stocked enough food that has been feeding me till now.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I sold a chunk of my livestock to cater to the education of my kids. The remaining ones, I used as dowry for the brides of my two sons. I was left with none and therefore, I have had to buy milk regularly from my neighbors. Receiving this money means that I will be able to buy two dairy cattle for KES 50,000. By doing this, I will be able to have enough milk for both domestic and commercial use. My projection is to ensure I have a surplus of 5 liters of milk that I will be selling for KES 50/liter in our nearby market center. For the remaining amount, I intend to construct a kitchen and live healthily.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Struggling with this disease that has partially paralyzed my body, my happiest part of the day is at night. This is so because this is the time I take my traditional medicine to ease pain and gradually heal. Once the discomfort is gone, I can soundly sleep all through the night.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have a body discomfort that had paralyzed my legs to an extent that I could not walk nor stand on my own. I have gone to several hospitals in search of treatment but to no success. Finally, I resorted to traditional medicine which my body is so far reacting to it positively. I can now stand and walk a few steps. My hope is one day I can get assistance and seek advanced treatment for this disease. This for me is the biggest hardship I have faced in my life.
