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?
I was preparing breakfast for my family at around 10 when my mobile phone ringing which was an alert of a new message. Since I am illiterate I asked my spouse to confirm who had sent the message at that particular moment. After checking, he realised it was an Mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I had finally received my first KES 55000 as promised. I felt happy and I couldn't even continue with the cooking. We started celebrating and thanking God for remembering us at these difficult moments in our lives. It feels like a miracle to us.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have been married for over twenty years and my life has been full of sorrows. I have been living in a small house which had only one room and its condition was not pleasant at all. Having a family of eleven members, it has not been possible to shelter under one roof which forced some of my children to seek shelter from relatives. The little we could make from the charcoal ( KES 200) was only enough for the daily meals and nothing was left for the purchase of building materials. To add to that, the rainy season, was one of the worst moments in my life because some of my properties could get damaged and all I could experience was a loss. I was so hopeless because I had no idea where I would acquire the money to facilitate the construction of a better house. Therefore after receiving the money, building the house was a priority and I am so glad I successfully made it. I am now sheltering in a good house that has restored my dignity and joy in my life which makes the most significant difference in my daily life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my forst transfer on buying some building materials such as the poles at KES 2310, iron sheets at KES 17600, timber, nails, and the labour charge at KES 5000. I had to prioritize this becasue I had wished to construct a new house since the previous one was grass thatched and very small. With the family of eleven, the one-room could not accommodate us all and some of my children had to seek shelter at their uncle's place. I also bought two mattresses for my children because they have to sleep on the floor with old beddings which were so uncomfortable. In addition, I bought some new uniforms for them and cleared the school fees of KES 2000 as well. With the remaining amount of money, I bought sufficient foodstuffs for my children
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been wishing to have a good family house but because of the economic crisis and the long drought spell which has persisted for more than 5 years, I could not budget my little earnings to construct a house for my family. I have 9 children and the luck of a big house made my 4 children to depend on borrowing a place to sleep in every night for the past 3 years. I have a business of charcoal burning and the amount of money I get every month is 7,000 KES which is not enough even for feeding the whole family in a month. Receiving this money means I will build a 3 bedroomed house for my children so that I can happly live and sleep happly with my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My happiest part of the day is in the morning when I wake up and find that my family is well too. This is the time I am happy because I have not yet started the straneus work of burning charcoal and thinking of how I can change my life and live in a better position.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My biggest hardship is luck of a spacious house for my family. Regardless of my poverty situation, sleeping in a good and spacious house with my children is a dream I have been with for more than 5 years.
