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 5.30 pm that delightful evening while weeding vegetables in my garden. That's when I heard a message alert on my phone. On checking, I confirmed to have received the eagerly awaited KES 55,000 from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with joy and immediately left for home to relay the good news to my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving the transfers is the building of a modern and spacious Iron roofed house. As a result, I can now accommodate all my family because my kids now have a place to sleep. Additionally, from the Iron roof, I now have access to clean rainwater for drinking. Therefore, I no longer have to borrow clean drinking water like before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For the past 10 years, I have been living in a tiny grass-thatched house. As a mother of 7, and a vegetable vendor it has been difficult to accommodate my household. This is because from my weekly income of KES 300 and my husband's herdsboy income of KES 3,500 monthly we could only afford to buy food and school fees. As a result during bedtime, my two girls would sleep in their grandma's house and the elder sons would sleep in their uncles' house.
Fortunately, when GiveDirectly transfers came I grabbed this opportunity and build a better house for my family. I, therefore, spent KES 33, 500 on the construction of a 24 Iron roofed house. Of this KES 18,000 was used on 24 Iron sheets, KES 9000 on construction trees, KES 6500 on transportation and cutting frame costs. This house can now accommodate my family and my kids have enough space to sleep.
Furthermore, I spent KES 6,000 on a bag and a half of maize. This has sustained us for the past month and the remainder will sustain us for the next two weeks.
In addition, I used KES 3,000 on cooking pots and other kitchen utensils because I had only a few. I also spent KES 2,000 on the latest clothing fashion which I could not afford due to low returns from casual labor. Lastly, spent KES 1,500 on a 210 liters water tank which helps store clean rainwater.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Means to build a new house. I live in one house with my 5 children whom others among them have grown up. It will be good to have another house to guarantee our privacy. I also intend to buy a dairy cow that will earn me an income from selling milk. This will be utilised to pay school fees for my children in school.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last six months, my daughter became the first of my children to complete secondary school. She passed with a grade getting her ready to pursue a college education. It makes me happy to see her join the rest of the children in the village and create herself a lifetime opportunity with an income. I believe that she will get a good job after training.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge in my life is the difficulty in paying school fees for my children. I lack a source of income relying on subsistence farming. I have two children who require at least KES 20,000 for fees every year. I hope to deal with this through expanding my grocery business, from which I will pay the school fees.
