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.
How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
I bought a piece of land through the cassava and the charcoal that I was selling and I planned to build on it
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
I want to say a big thank you to Givedirectly family, because through Givedirectly I was able to paid all of my children school fees and now I am saving money to build a house.
Before Givedirectly could come in this town, I was selling cassava and coal along with fufu,yet, I couldn't afford to pay my children school fees on time, but today I am able to every thing on time
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am saving the money to add to the other money that will come to build my house on the land
2nd Payment
Transfer Amount
42500 LRD ($276 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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How is your life different than it would have been if you never received the transfer?
Before GiveDirectly came to help us, I was struggling to raise money for my three children's school fees, but through the transfer from GiveDirectly, I was able to settle everything concerning their school without any stress and that was my first goal when the program started. My new goal now is to build my own house, living in another person's house comes with so many challenges and disadvantages. I also want my children to have a place to call their own
as well.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my opinion, GiveDirectly does well by being kind and patient with recipients at all times, they are also truthful about the program, the opportunity they have given us is a stepping stone to a bigger and brighter future for our families. I don't know anything that GiveDirectly is not doing well, everything is fine to me.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I saved my most recent transfer because I want it to add to the remaining two transfers so that I can be able to buy all the building materials I need to start my house project. I used a little amount of it to buy foodstuff for my family.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
40375 LRD ($265 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
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Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
My name is Bindu Makayah. I ame 48 years old Liberian who live in Beh town over ten (10) years. I was sitting in Beh town One morning and I saw give directly people on the motor bike and they were asking for the town chief. After introducing themselves to the town chief and explain the purpose of their visit, the town chief call for meeting right away in order for give directly staff to explain all the good things that give directly is about to do. After explaining that give directly will be sending us money every month until four months, my friend and I Iook in one another faces and we laugh about that statement. with in the period of two months, I was inside my room when I heard my friends shouting all over the place, then I ask what is happening and they said to me, check in your phone my friend, than I quickly took my phone and ask my son to read the massage and he said, mama, give directly has sent you money with the amount of 40375 Liberian Dollars. Upon hearing that great news, I started dancing and praising God for what give directly has done for me.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I used to sell fufu before my children and I can survive. But after receiving this transfer from give directly, my life has changed and selling in the street has reduced.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I paid my children school fees and saved some of the money
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
If I am successful to receive transfer from GD, I intend to start a business (dried goods or provisions) with the money. This is because the business will enable me raise additional cash flow that will help pay for the children's education. For instance, some of the children (1) is in school but the smaller ones (2) are not in school yet. In the past years I have only depended on subsistence farming that only provide daily substanance but not extra cash that will help us send the other kids to school. Therefore, if the money is provided me it will definitely be a break through for me and my family, especially the children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
What makes me happy in the last six months is when I managed to get food for my family to eat. As things worsen on us in August 2021 for more than two weeks. Immediately after the two weeks struggle in August, I was able to begin my first harvest from the cassava farm to make fufu which I took to the market for sale to buy food. And that in early September 2021, I had had enough fufu to take to the market that brought in additional cash flow that have kept me and my family food stock up since our toughest times in August 2021.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The most difficulty I have been faced with is food for substanance for me and the family. The reason we have been hardly hit by food crisis is because it takes a year to harvest a cassava farm. However, before the harvest comes, we are already starving because there is no other means of livelihood except the small cassava farm we made each year. Secondly, I have been sick with an unusual skin disease for over 20 years without cure. I have been to several hospitals, health center and/or traditional healers but to no avail. This has also impeded my ability to find additional sources of livelihood for me and the family. For example, in August 2021 as the rainy season intensified, things got very tough on us that me and the family went over two weeks without adequate food intake. As of now, even though things are getting a bit better, we are still in a food crisis state and that I think could worsen if no one intervenes.
