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 busy in the kitchen preparing a meal for my family when I got the message that confirmed I had received funds from give directly. This moved me, and my day suddenly brightened. I saw the hope to fulfill my dream of owning my own house. This I was unable to do as I was without a job and my husband earned very little from pastoral farming. So, we were forced to live under the same roof as his family. Even though I couldn't get the KES 10,000 I needed to kick-start the project, I decided to save the amount at a merry-go-round up until I get the targeted amount.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
If I compare my life then, I am more hopeful that I will be able to establish my dreams of owning a house. Living together with my in-laws is great but as a married woman it felt squeezed and I needed some privacy too. These funds have helped kick start the journey of realizing my plan through saving in merry-go-round towards it. Soon I will have a home where my husband and I will start a family in.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Before I started receiving these funds, I had an idea of building a house where I would live with my husband, and together we would start a family in it. Currently, we stay at his parent's house. To kick-start the project, I need KES 10,000. Since I am unemployed while my husband earns very little from pastoral farming, we have been unable to raise the money. For this reason, when I got my transfer from give directly, I saved 500 in a merry-go-round to gather the funds. What remained, I bought some clothes to replace the old ragged ones I had.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house's roof is grass-thatched and I aimed to replace the grasses with iron sheets but this desire has never been possible due to financial problems in my household. With the cash grant from GiveDirectly, I am so confident that, this dream will materialize soon. I need utmost 30000 KES to offset this plan and this means saving my transfers of 10 months. In addition, I will also buy a water tank that will help me to store some rainwater because we lack a nearby water pan yet sometimes our area gets so dry. Thus, this is generally what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Despite the many challenges that I face in my life, I am still so grateful for the good health that I have enjoyed over the last 6 months. This becomes to be my source of joy because I have been able to carry out my daily household chores without difficulties.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband works as a herdman and his monthly income is 5000 KES, which we depend on to cater to our family's basic needs. This income is very little and sometimes we end up surviving on one meal a day, something that has subjected us to a lot of stress. Therefore, I consider financial instability as what I am currently struggling with most.
