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 remember being at my farm, weeding the maize when I heard the familiar tone of my phone. I quickly put down my tools and pulled my phone from my pocket to check the notification. When I saw that the message was from GiveDirectly and it was the cash transfer I had been hoping for, my heart leaped with excitement. I rushed to tell my children, barely able to contain my joy, and as we stood together, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Finally, I was going to pay the school fees for my two children in secondary school.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Since receiving the unconditional cash from GiveDirectly, the biggest difference I've seen is that I was finally able to pay off the school fees arrears for my two children. Before this, they were at risk of being sent home. I mainly depend on maize farming, which I sell to Kenya Seed to raise money. The unfortunate part is that Kenya Seed often delays their payments for a long time, and this has always been a challenge for us. Without timely payments, it’s difficult to handle urgent expenses like school fees, but now, thanks to GiveDirectly, I’ve been able to cover those costs without worrying about when the payments from my maize will come through.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used $60 to clear the school fee arrears for my two daughters in secondary school. I couldn’t bear the thought of them being sent home because they’d miss out on so much learning. Their education is a top priority for me, and this payment helped me ensure that they could stay in school without interruptions. I also used $36 to buy six plastic chairs, adding to the two that I already had. Now, when visitors come over, I don’t have to worry about where they will sit. Additionally, I bought a bag of maize for $30, as we had none left in storage. With the maize, I know our family has food security for the coming weeks, which gives me peace of mind. I used another $15 to finally pay off a debt that had been lingering for too long, and it was causing tension with the person I owed. Clearing that debt lifted a weight off my shoulders. The remainder of the money went towards household food items, and I also spent $10 on clothes for my children. Being able to provide these essentials, thanks to the transfer, has brought much-needed relief to our family.
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access_time 4 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Since the demise of my spouse, I am left to be the sole breadwinner of the family. Currently I am struggling to put food on the table for my family of four. I want my family to be food secure, GiveDirectly's cash transfers will enable me to stock enough food, buy bedding and clothes. This will cost $140 of my transfers from GiveDirectly. I want to shift my focus to irrigation farming but I do not have a water pump generator. This is the greatest setback to kickstart my dream. I will use $235 to buy a water pump generator. This will be the turning point of my life, it will help me to support my family without struggling. I promised myself to support my daughters to pursue their education and succeed in life. I will therefore use $350 of the transfers to play school fees for the next term. It will give them humble time to do revision and work on their studies.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My life has been difficult for the past six months, I am struggling to pay school fees for my daughters who are in secondary school. Despite this challenge, I am happy that my daughters have not been sent home to collect school fees arrears. This motivates me to work harder and support their dreams of living a colorful life in future.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My daughters Naomy and Ruth performed well in Kenya certificate of primary education examination and joined Tuluk secondary and Yatya secondary school in January this year. This came with mixed feelings, I am happy that they are on the right track to chase their dreams while on the other hand I am stressed up on how I will manage to pay for their education. I rely on casual jobs to earn a living and support my family. Casual jobs pay $3 a day which is not enough to meet our ends. It has made it difficult for me to pay school fees for my daughters at the same time to put food on the table. Sometimes I go to bed without food which is heartbreaking.
