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 was heading to the farm very early in the morning when I received a message alert. After checking the content of the message, I realized that I had finally received my first transfer from GiveDirectly. I felt happy and I even went back home and started celebrating with 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 that I now have a pair of oxen that I am current keeping in my homestead. I opted in purchasing them purposely for my farming activities. I have been hiring those of my neighbors for all those years and sometimes I could not afford it since it was very expensive. This is now a big relief to me because I am assured of getting a lot of harvests. I will also be hiring them to my friends and generate an income.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my transfer on buying a pair of oxen worthy of KES 26000. This what i have been yearning to pwm for a long time. I later bought bougts dome nw beddings sucha s a bed and a matress. Previously I have been using the tradition beds which I had discmpfts. I also bought some n=building magterosls such as iron sheets, buildings naild and timber. Thsis was the constuction of a new hpuse for my children. The reaming amount of miney I bought enough foodstuffs for my fmily.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Since I depend on farming, my desire is to improve farming techniques. At the moment, I use a hoe and this has led to untimely cultivation and subsequently poor yields every season. It is my wish to own a pair of oxen and its plougher and as such I will use my first transfers to accomplish that. I also have children who are in school; some have arrears from last term, and therefore, I intend to use part of my second transfers to clear it off. I will use the remaining part to repair my leaking roof. And that is what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day. This is the time when I'm done with most of my household chores and having been at the farm for the better part of the day, it is the perfect time to rest.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My inability to adequately meet the needs of the family has been the biggest hardship in life. Since I depend on farming and given the unpredictable climatical conditions here, I hardly harvest enough yields that can sustain us up to the next season. Consequently, most of the time we are forced to purchase foodstuffs from the shop. With the limited resources, other basic needs like better health care, education and shelter are compromised.
