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 at my farm at exactly 9 in the morning when I was preparing pasture for the goats when I heard my phone ringing. This was notifying me of a new message. Since I am illiterate, I decided to proceed with the task that I was handling but before I could finish, my son joined me. Later on, I asked him to check for me the content of the new message. I couldn't contain my joy after he said that I had finally received my first transfer. We even decided to go back home and shared the news with my spouse and others.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I can proudly mention is the fact that I now sleep in a decent shelter. Before the coming of GiveDirectly, we used to sleep in a very miserable environment which resulted in an awful life in general. The house was small and very old; its roof could leak excessively and during the rainy seasons, we all had to shift to other people's compounds. In the process of seeking shelter some of my properties like furniture and clothes could get damaged which was always a loss for me. In addition to that, my spouse who is in his old age (70s) could sometimes get sick from the cold nights. This has been frustrating me for a long but I had no means that would help me buy the necessary materials needed for a new house. Being the family breadwinner relying on the casual jobs ie burning and selling charcoal whereby in a day I could earn KES 250, which was very little to cater to the needs of the three family members and building a house at the same time. Therefore after receiving the money, I had to settle to constructing the house which is the permanent solutions to all the troubles we have been through.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a huge fraction of my transfer on purchasing several building materials which include; thirty pieces of building poles at KES 3000, iron sheets, timber at KES 25000, and the labor charge of KES 11000. I had bought all these with an intention of constructing a new spacious house because the previous one was very small and almost collapsing. I was afraid it would fall anytime because its walls were very weak with the old roof. In addition, with my three family members, it couldn't accommodate us all which was not pleasing at all. Lastly with the KES 16000, I am utilizing it on buying foodstuffs like maize flour, wheat, vegetables, among others. Lately, we have been at least taking three meals a day which still feels like a dream to us.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means improved security for my family. This is because my house collapsed 6 months ago and I have never managed to construct a new one due to lack of funds. This has forced me to live in an open-sided structure that scares me most from the dangers of wild animals that frequently visit our area. I plan to spend a better portion of my first transfer(KES 45000) to ensure that, I construct a decent house for my family. The second transfer will help me to buy 10 goats for KES 30000 to ensure that I have a long-term investment project. With the remaining amount, it will help me to sort out some of the very basic needs like food and nice beddings.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The afternoon is the happiest part of my day because, at this time, I usually feel secure from the danger of being exposed to wild animals. At night, I usually feel insecure since my house is more open yet in most cases, some wild animals just pass close to my house.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Charcoal burning is the main source of income that I have been doing for my household's upkeep. This work is currently not reliable since I am no longer energetic, plus trees are not in plenty. This has forced me to live a desperate life that has turned my family into a laughing stock to our neighbors and even to my close relatives. I have always felt ashamed living in a house that looks like goats' shade just because I can not afford to construct a nice shelter. Therefore, I consider financial instability as the biggest hardship that I have ever faced in my life.
