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 felt good and happy when I received a message that confirmed the receipt of the first transfer from GiveDirectly. It was around 4:00 PM and was in the neighboring village when I received that alert. I had to rush home to inform my wife that the transfer that we had been expecting was finally in my account. Since we had all plans in place, I withdrew the money the same day and started executing the few projects that we had enlisted.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the construction of a decent and spacious house that we are yet to move into. The old house I had been struggling to repair on the roof had been in bad condition especially during the rainy seasons since the grass would always fall off leaving openings that would allow the raindrops in. I am grateful to GiveDirectly for changing a lot and making us realize a dream that I thought would still take years before we see it coming to pass.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Many households in our village had been aspiring to own a good house roofed with iron sheets that would accommodate all the members of their household and I was not an exception. On receiving the first transfer, I spent KES 33000 on obtaining the construction materials that included; 24 iron sheets, building poles, and enough nails to construct a new house. After the construction, I had to part with another KES 7000 labor charge and am glad that the constructor did a great job on putting up a decent and spacious house. I also purchased foodstuff worth KES 5000, clothing for my family of four worth KES 7000, and spent the remaining amount on other household goods that we had been missing in our old house.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always had an intention of upgrading my existing old grass-thatched house into an iron sheet roofed semi-permanent structure. The current house I reside in with my family is old and worn out and I am always stressed up during the rainy season as water seeps from the roof. This creates unfavorable living conditions for my family. To get out of this situation, I plan to use KES 35000 to build a spacious house to accommodate my family comfortably. I also need to buy dairy cattle to supplement my family with milk since I do not have any.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In December 2021, we were very glad to have received visitors who were coming to greet us. They brought lots of presents to us ranging from cooking items, clothing, and other commodities. These items are the ones that are sustaining us up to date.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is the provision of three meals per day for my family as they are fully dependent on me to provide for their basic needs. I am a casual laborer and on most occasions, I get jobs related to farming on other people's land. On a lucky day, I usually receive a wage of KES 250 after finishing a certain casual task. Most of my payments are done in the evening and since I work from hand to mouth, I use the whole amount to buy foodstuff for my family. This means that if we consume the entire food and the leftovers the following day, there is a chance my family will not have something to take for lunch.
