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.
In your opinion, what does GiveDirectly do well, and what does it not do well?
In my view, the aspect of offering financial support to the recipients is what GiveDirectly does so well. Through the transfers, we have been able to witness a positive change in our lifestyle. Those who had goals that they could not execute in the past are now able to work on them. As a result, the entire members of the community who were enrolled in the program are experiencing a better life since they can easily obtain food. On the contrary, I have not observed anything that GiveDirectly does not do well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My husband and I do not have a steady source of income. So we have to work very hard to provide for our family. My spouse does the work of carrying goods in the nearby center for pay. His daily income is insufficient to support my entire family. Similarly, I have been battling to pay school fees for my son's high school education. It has been difficult because I rely on a profit of KES 200 from my "mandazi" business. I opted to make savings immediately after receiving my transfer. This will help me in paying his fees as soon as the schools reopen. During the closing day, he had school fee arrears of KES 9,000.
Initial Payment
Transfer Amount
1200 KES ($10 USD)
access_time over 2 years ago
attach_money
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I had just got back from getting water when my son approached informing me that he had heard rumours around that the transfers had already been sent. I immediately asked him to go through my phone and check whether I too had received the money because I could not read. He confirmed that GiveDirectly had sent the transfers and I instantly was filled with euphoria because I knew I could cater for some of the things that we were in urgent need for in the house especially food.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
During the time that the transfers were sent, we could barely afford to have a meal. My husband on the other hand had also not received his monthly salary so we were worried on how we would manage to even pull having a meal on the table and yet the kids needed to eat especially after they got back from school. So the funds really helped me and my family a lot. No one had to go to bed on an empty stomach.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
After receiving the funds from GiveDirectly I immediately went ahead and looked into matters concerning with nutrition. This is because drought has affected us negatively especially considering that the lot of us were subsistence farmer and depended on what we reaped to feed our families. Before meeting GiveDirectly most of us were starving. So after I received the money I went ahead and bought nine packets of maize flour for KES 1,035 and then used the remaining KES 135 and nought groceries like cabbage, tomatoes and kale. After that my transfers were all done but I was glad that I was able to ensure that I would not have to worry about a meal for the mean time while I looked for more money.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Currently I do not have furniture and this weighs me down a lot. I have been using jerrycans for seats and a traditional bed made from tree logs without even a mattress. This bed pinches the user's body throughout the night creating a level of discomfort that is totally unbearable. This way you can't get good sleep which in turns impact one's health. When I get this money I will properly furnish my house. First I'll start with a bed and a mattress both for myself and my children at around 20000 KES. I will then acquire some affordable seats and a table at about 15000KES to make my house comfortable.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My life has been mostly depressing moments over the time. Sometimes you wake up in the morning and children asks you for school items which you can't give because you don't have. The only happiness that fills my heart is the fact that I'm able to provide food for them with the profit I make from my business. I sell fruits on a small scale at a nearby shopping center.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I feel fatigued a lot most of the time. This is because I do not get to sleep enough at night due to discomfort I always experience. I do not have a proper bed at the moment, not forgetting beddings. I just sleep on a traditional mat spread on top of a bed made from tree logs. This is extremely hard and pinches my body a lot.
