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?
That morning had taken my phone to a usual nearby shop for a battery recharge. In the evening as I was running my usual errands, I heard my neighbor excitedly screaming about receiving funds from Give directly. I rushed anxiously to pick up my phone and as I switched it on I was delighted to see my message as well.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I received my funds has been the opening of my small business of selling Sardines. It has been quite lucrative and my earnings are increasing on day to day basis. My life has changed and we don’t have to depend on my husband to afford our daily needs like food.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband is unemployed and we have been surviving on the casual jobs he gets on construction sites. Life has been tough because the jobs are not consistent and sometimes am forced to work as a charcoal burner to afford our basic needs. When I received my transfer, I used KES 17,500 and bought a cow because I figured that if the cow reproduces it will be an opportunity to secure funds that can support my children who are at school. With the financial struggles, I decided to settle my children’s school fees of KES 7,800 and bought them uniforms for KES 1000. I also used KES 1000 and opened the business of selling sardines which have been quite supportive of my daily needs. The remaining amount was used to buy building materials to complete the two-roomed house structure which was incomplete due to our financial constraints for the past two years.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means good education for my children in the future because at the moment they are still in the lower classes. This means investing in livestock especially cows and I am very confident that, they will do better since we have a very big land to get pasture for them. To start with, I intend to spend my entire first transfer, 55000 KES to buy 3 indigenous dairy cows. These will multiply with time and I will be able to sell some once my children advance to high school and it will guarantee them a better chance in school; hence, a bright future for them. The second transfer will help me to repair the roof of my house because the poles were damaged by termites and it can be blown anytime.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Nothing brings joy in festive seasons like getting new clothes and eating delicious meals. In December last year, my husband bought new clothes for me and my children and we also ate meat that we had missed for months. This was a great source of happiness for me because we spent that christmas season so peacefully.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
What is eating up my mind is the lack of money to support even my 3 children who are still in the lower classes. This is something that robs away my joy since I am always wondering how I can manage to support them once they join high school. Since I am jobless and my husband's casual work in construction does not earn him much to save for our future, it has subjected me to endless thoughts. Thus, financial instability is the biggest worry that I am currently struggling with.
