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?
In my opinion, there was fairness in the selection since everyone was included in the project. It was a great idea for GiveDirectly to do the selection themselves without involving any of the local government officials. I also love the idea of sending us money directly to our Mpesa accounts which has led to transparency and letting only the most deserving people receive money.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Both my spouse works on people's farms for pay. The much we can make in a day is KES 200 each which is not enough to meet the needs of our family of 9. I am therefore thinking of investing in poultry rearing since they do not require much capital. Besides, they are the best way to get fast cash because they reproduce faster with numerous young ones and their demand is high too. I, therefore, bought two chickens at KES 1000 for rearing. The remaining KES 2000 I spent on some of the food items enough to push my family for a while before going back to the market for more.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
As I stared at my children sleeping and sweating profusely due to hunger, I became emotional and tears rolled down my cheek with so much pain. I knelt down beside my bed and whispered a prayer to God for a miracle. I had spent the previous day selling charcoal and was unsuccessful. While still on my knees, my phone vibrated and upon checking, I could not believe my eyes. My heart quickly melted with joy and I bolted toward the shop, withdrew the money, and bought food.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I can now breathe a sigh of relief after using the money to buy plenty of food for my family. Due to my unstable source of income, my family has suffered from serious malnutrition caused by a lack of enough food. I am happy that their health condition is improving and that we do not sleep hungry anymore. The food I bought for my family is the biggest difference I have in my life after receiving the transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Together with my husband, we earn a living by selling charcoal. We lost our primary source of lively hood (subsistence farming) after the drought struck the village. We have struggled to provide basic needs (food, medication, and paying school fees) for our family (seven children). The lack of customers caused by the tough economic conditions has made it challenging to earn a cent. My lowest moment is when we spent three days with nothing to eat and my children were crying out due to hunger. The youngest was suckling the breast, but nothing was coming out of it. I went to the shop where I bought food on credit to come and feed my family. The experiences and challenges I faced pushed me to spend all my money from my first transfer to buy food for my family and avoid a repeat of that awful experience.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
The main aim I have for this money I will receive is to support my children's education. I have 5 children who are enrolled in school. With such a big number of children, the tuition fees are always high. This year alone, my children have been denied access to school approximately 5 times. This is because of a fee balance of 3,500 KES. I am convinced that livestock farming will take me out of this struggle. I intend to buy 5 goats at a total cost of 10,000 KES. By doing so, I will salvage my children's aspirations. With time, the goats will increase in number and I will no longer be bothered by tuition fees. I will just sell the goats and clear everything.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Early this year, two of my family members ( daughter and husband) fell sick. Having two sick people in the same family is a bit troubling. I am happy they fully recovered and I am now totally at peace.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a mother of seven children. To only comfortably provide food for this family is challenging. I am always forced to do very hard manual jobs to get money for food. Charcoal burning is the main job I do. Cutting down trees and digging up stumps leaves me with serious body aches.
