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 6 AM when I heard my phone ringing continuously. I decided to check what the notification was all about. Upon checking, I realized it was an Mpesa message from GD. They had sent the money as they had promised during the enrollment. I was overwhelmed with joy and all I could do was to laugh on top of my voice.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having a rental house is the biggest difference that I can proudly mention in my life. This is because I have been jobless for all those years and I was only depending on my spouse, for the family upkeep. Life has never been easy at all, and I was almost losing hope in life. All has changed now because all the rooms are occupied. Therefore, I am now able to meet my family's basic needs without any difficulties from the rental fee that I collect monthly from my tenants. And all gratitude goes to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent the larger part of the first transfer on purchasing building materials for the purpose of constructing a rental house. The materials included; sand soils, hardcore, iron sheets, timber, doors, and windows. I later paid the mason at KES 7000. Thanks to GiveDirectly for the finances which have empowered me to become an entrepreneur.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means completion of my rental house which will be a major source of income for my family. My whole transfer will be used for labor charges and addition of building materials such as cement, iron sheets, metal rods and stones.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evenings are my best. This is because my husband works a bit far from home but comes back every evening. I always look forward to his homecoming. He works so hard but always makes time for us.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial deficit has been our biggest hurdle to our progress. Its been 3 years now since we started building our rental house but poor cash flow has been a great stumbling block.
