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?
The moment I received the money was a turning point for me. It came in the morning at around 5 AM while I was still sleeping. Suddenly, I heard a message on my phone and, when I checked, I saw that I had received the money. I was overjoyed to confirm that GiveDirectly had kept its promise of sending us free money. I couldn't go back to sleep; my mind was racing with thoughts on how to use this money wisely. By 6 AM, I was already thinking about my child at university, who needed to pay rent. The landlord was threatening to evict him, which had been a huge source of stress for me. Knowing I could help him immediately filled me with relief and happiness.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Before receiving the cash transfer, I faced a lot of stress trying to find money to pay the rent for my son. He had been chased away by the landlord because we couldn't afford to pay. My heart ached as I worried about his situation and how he would manage without a place to stay. However, after getting the transfer, everything changed. I was able to pay the rent, and my son could move back into his room and focus on his studies. Now, my family is happy, and I no longer feel that heavy burden on my shoulders. The biggest difference is the peace of mind I have knowing my son can study peacefully without the threat of eviction hanging over him.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
When I received the cash transfer, it felt like a lifeline for my family. I immediately used $125 to pay the house rent for my child who is in university. The landlord was about to close the room due to unpaid rent, which had been giving me sleepless nights. As a parent of 13 children, managing our finances is challenging, especially since my wife and I only work in farming and burn charcoal to provide for them. It was a relief to secure my child's living situation and ensure they had a safe place to stay while studying. Furthermore, I spent $10 on medicine for my seven-year-old child who has leukemia. Watching my child suffer has been heartbreaking, and the medical expenses were adding up. This small amount helped me purchase essential medicine, easing my worries about his health. I felt a sense of comfort knowing that I could provide him with the care he needs, even if just for a little while. With the remaining money, I focused on buying food for our family. We had been struggling to eat, relying solely on our farming efforts, which had not been fruitful lately. I had to sell some of our livestock to cover school fees, leaving us with little to eat. Now, with this cash transfer, I could finally fill our pantry and provide proper meals for my children. This support has lifted a huge burden off my shoulders and brought some hope back into our lives.
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access_time 2 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Receiving the cash transfers means so much to me and my family because it will help us improve our lifes a great deal. For the first cash transfers I intend to use KES 14,000 to pay for my four children's school fees. For the remaining amount I intend to purchase food stuffs for my family. For the second and third cash transfers I intend to pay school fees using KES 60,000 of the cash transfers. This will help me reduce the fees arrears I have of about KES 120,000. With the remaining amount I plan to start a chicken farming of about 30 chicken. This will be my investment which would help me pay for school fees and also support my family financially.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiness in the last 6 months has come mainly from the recent rains we have received. This has brought me great joy because we have plenty of pasture for our livestock and also improved crop production from our farms.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge I'm facing currently that's making my life hard is the lack of money. I have four children who are in various institutions three that are in secondary school and 1 in University whom I pay school fees for. I have a school fees arrears of about KES 120,000 cumulatively. In addition to this, I have a child that is sick and I have had to pay hefty hospital bills amounting to about KES 150,000. This has led me to sell almost all my sellable assets including livestock and farm produce. This has made life very challenging since I'm not employed and because of old age I'm unable to do casual work. My life is quite difficult.