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.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am a single mother of two children who still live on my parents' property. To support my children, I work as a hairdresser. After receiving my transfer, I decided to purchase a dairy cow in order to reduce the cost of purchasing milk daily, which was costly. As a result, I spent $350 on a dairy cow. Second, I spent $40 on a mattress, and the remainder was spent on groceries. I am so grateful and content that GiveDirectly's assistance has significantly improved my standard of living in such a short period.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The most significant change in my daily life is that I now own a dairy cow, which was previously impossible due to financial constraints. This means I won't have to worry about buying milk daily for my children which were very expensive, yet I did not have a reliable source of income. The organization's support was extremely valuable in securing our lives, for which I am forever grateful.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I recall being at home relaxing when I received my transfer. When I picked up my phone, I saw a message on the screen confirming that I had received money from GiveDirectly. I was overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. This was the most exciting news I'd heard in a long time. This is because I was confident that we would meet our objectives. I thanked God for the precious gift.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a single mother of two, life has not been easy for me. At 22 years, I feel like I am going through challenges that are way above my age. My family is going through financial challenges that are occasioned by lack of a stable income. I am a poultry farmer collecting at least 20 eggs per day which I sell locally for $0.2 each. I have a 2-month-old baby who requires pampers which are expensive to buy.
What is the happiest part of your day?
3 months ago I gave birth to a bouncy baby girl and I named her Blessings. Giving birth safely without any related complications is something that made me happy.
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
I completed my primary education in the year 2016 and dropped out due to lack of school fees since my parents could not afford. I proceeded to a polytechnic to take a hairdressing course which I completed in 2019. I desire to look for a stall to open a salon so that I can grow my skills. At the moment I am just at home nursing my 2-month-old baby and depending solely on my poultry business to make ends meet. I earn $2 daily from the sale of eggs which I spend to buy food for my family. I have tried to save money for my salon business but that has been an impossibility since I am single with no stable income. I intend to spend $300 from my transfer to build a salon business from the ground up and I am certain that this will make a difference in my life.
