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?
For a significant amount of time, my family of five and I had been struggling financially. Despite working long hours every day to provide for them, it always seemed like it was not enough. However, I was thrilled when I received notification that I had finally received my first cash transfer from GiveDirectly. Even though I had been waiting for some time after enrolling in the program, hearing positive feedback from my friends in other villages reassured me that I too would eventually receive the transfer. As soon as I confirmed the receipt of the money at around 4:00 pm, I immediately left my routine casual job and went to the nearest shopping center to purchase some much-needed groceries and household goods. I collected the remaining amount the following day when I was buying other enlisted items.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since receiving my first transfer from GiveDirectly, I have done a lot of things that have changed the lives of my entire family. So far, the biggest differences in my daily life have been the purchase of a heifer and the return of my children to school. I am grateful for the generous support and hope to receive much more with the upcoming second transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I was previously reliant on casual labor, which could be difficult to come by as a source of income. Since my husband got fractured on the rips, I have had to shoulder the entire burden of raising school fees and purchasing food for my family of six. My children had been sent home from school because of a lack of tuition fees when I received the first transfer. I owed $20 for four primary school children, and my son, who was in secondary school, had given up and decided to enroll in a middle-level technical learning institute where he hopes to train as a driver. Clearing the $20 arrears and taking back the four children to school was a relief, I also paid $10 registration fees for the elder son at the technical institute where he is scheduled to begin in May. My ultimate goal was to purchase a cow, and I had to spend $210 on a heifer. I intend to breed and then sell the offspring to help pay for my children's school fees in the future. In addition, I had a shopping list of $165 worth of items to purchase, including bedding, clothes for my children, and an extra seat. I also purchased a $65 sack of maize, which we are still using today. Because we were expecting rain, I also purchased farm inputs worth $15 and saved the remainder to use in my daily purchase of a liter of milk from the neighborhood.
Enrolled
access_time almost 2 years ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Quality education for my children is what these transfers mean to me. My two sons dropped out of school for lack of school fees and I feel bad about it. My responsibility is to make their lives better but since we rely on casual jobs to earn a living, it is an uphill task for us. All the money I get goes into buying food and medication for my sickly spouse hence no money for fees. I plan on using the transfers to re- enroll one of my sons back to school because he was a performer and also educate the others in primary school. With the rest of the money I will buy a dairy cow so as to ensure we have milk for home use and a surplus for selling. I am happy as my children will go to school like their peers and make their lives better with good education.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I used to live in a grass-thatched house that was in a dilapidated state. When it rains, we had to sought refuge at relatives place to avoid catching cold at night. Six months ago, our neighbours contributed money which enabled us to build a iron sheet roofed house. We no longer worry when it rains and we sleep comfortably since it is very spacious.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial constraints is the biggest challenge currently. My husband who is the sole provider, got involved in an accident two months ago, and since then I was forced to do casual jobs to make ends meet.The hard-earned money goes into buying food and medication for my spouse and none is left to save for future emergencies and school fees for my children. This has seen my two sons drop out of school and it saddens me when they stay at home.
