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 11:00 pm and we had just retired to bed when I heard my phone ring. On checking it I was met with a pleasant surprise of a lifetime. GiveDirectly had made good their promise of sending me money. I awoke my husband who was about to sleep as well and we were both very happy. We took time to reflect on what we needed to do with the money I make sure that we reap maximum benefits from it. The thought of accomplishing the things we had desired over a long time could not allow us to sleep. The next morning I went to withdraw the money and later on my husband spent it on all the things we had agreed on.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in our daily lives is in the business that we were able to start again. The clothes selling business is picking up well and we are so excited about this. Right now, we have been able to consistently put food on the table for our child and at the same time invest more money on assets that will help us in future. We recently bought two goats from the profits accrued from the business. This is an investment that will help us in future and more importantly is when our first born child will start school. We are so grateful for all the change that GiveDirectly has brought forth in our lives.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used KES 20000 to buy a new stock for a business my husband had engaged in before. This was clothes selling business. He had had to lose all his stock over time because of the hard economic times that we had been through as a family and this was an opportune moment for us to get back to our feet. He now sells his own clothes and makes more profits contrary to before when he used to rely on broking to earn a living. The remaining KES 30000 was used to buy a motorcycle for transporting is clothes luggage to various market destinations and this has made his days in work quite enjoyable and easy. We are very grateful that we are now able to provide for ourselves and on a path towards growth.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a better and spacious house. Living in one-roomed house is not enough to accomodate my growing family of three at the same time visitors. My grass thatched house is in a bad condition and sometimes it rains inside making it difficult to stay in during cold season. I am planning to build two-roomed iron roof house with KES 40,000 and use KES 25,000 from the second transfer to buy a dairy cow. This will enable me have a regular source of income in few years time which will sustain all the basic needs of my household.
What is the happiest part of your day?
It has been raining consistently for the last 3 months. I cultivated maize and sweet potatoes and it is doing well. I hoping to harvest around 2 bags of maize this month and this translates to enough food for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge that I am currently facing is lack of money because we do not have a reliable source of income. My husband who is the bread winner works at a nearby town as a casual laborer and is paid KES 1,000 per week which is not enough to cater for all the family needs. We have not been able to save up to build a good house. Sometimes when we have visitors I ask my mother-in-law to accomodate them and this embarases me.
