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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
GiveDirectly does well by unbiasedly enrolling people within the village. It is for these reasons that we can leave in harmony and spend the money wisely in order to uplift our lives from the jaws of poverty.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
It is two years now since they diagnosed me with breast infection. Since then my life changed and it has been spiraling downwards. So far, I have spent all my savings seeking better treatment and I have nothing left. I no longer work because of the advice from the doctors. I fully depend on my son who does low paying manual jobs. When I received my second transfer, I spent it on the most pressing needs I had that time. I spent KSH 2000 in buying food. My son who takes care of me could not send me money on time and because of that, I slept hungry for two days. I buying the food was a relief for my son who was trying hard to buy me food but was unsuccessful. Besides buying food, I paid school fees for my children who had huge fee balances and were about to be sent home.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($11 USD)
access_time almost 3 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the money the same day I was traveling from the hospital to see my sick grandchild. Reaching home at around midday I saw a message on the phone and gave it to one of my grandchildren to help me read and that's when she confirmed that I have just received the transfer. I was extremely happy and I sent her immediately to withdraw the money for me though she took along to come back because of the long queue at the Mpesa agent, but the wait was worth it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The money helped me at that time to buy food, water, and seek medication and I am thankful for GD.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I received the transfers at a time when we were still experiencing drought. It helped me in buying food, water, and medication whereby KES 600 was spent on food, KES 400 on water, and KES 200 on medicine.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have challenges getting food as currently we can not practice farming. I use to be a subsistence farmer but because of the unfavorable climatic conditions of this year, I have been forced to try my hands on charcoal burning. But still, there's a challenge. My old age makes it hard for me to fully do this as I'm slow and do not have a lot of energy. Most of the time we try to do this with my cowife but still, we can't make enough to take us for longer than a week.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I'm most happy whenever we're able to get food to feed ourselves effectively. But this is rare occasions as we are not able to get money regularly. We've been doing mostly charcoal burning this year but because of our old age we can't make enough money from this.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My house collapsed a year ago and so currently I'm being accommodated by my cowife in her house. But even her small house is also about to collapse. I would like to build a house of my own so that I can have my freedom and pride again.
