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 biggest difference in your daily life.
I am operating a shop in my village where I sell fast-moving goods. This has been a source of income to me for a long time now. It was my expectation that I would expand my operations and increase my earnings by including a variety of goods before the end of this year. When I received this money, I made sure I added the items that my customers wanted badly. I am happy because I can now efficiently meet my customer's needs. This has, in turn, increased my daily earnings. To me, the fact that I am able to meet my client's needs and have been able to grow financially is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
The message came around 3 am in the morning, I could not read the message and I had to wait patiently for daybreak. I later called my helper whom I showed the message. I was filled with joy after realizing that it was from Give Directly and that they had sent me the first transfers. I was greatly filled with happiness because I have never held such an amount of money before. I knew my life will definitely not be the same again. It is from this point that I started planning and thinking of ways I could invest the transfers.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
Before the coming of GiveDirectly, I was operating a shop in my village from which I used to sell a variety of products. When I received my first transfer, I added adequate stock to help me operate efficiently by meeting most of my customer's needs. I also had a bull and my aim was to get another one to make a pair. The cost of a bull at the moment is roughly KES 15000. I had already set aside part this amount from the transfer I got from Give Directly. The pair will help me to do timely farming hence improving my farm produce. Apart from that, I also used KES 10000 to pay for my children school fees. This will avoid interruptions that would have arisen due to late payment of the school fees. I spent the remaining amount to purchase foodstuffs and meeting other household expenses.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
In a drought stricken area, I depend on subsistence farming to feed a family of six. This is not sufficient and I burn charcoal to supplement it. However, it is still not enough because the business is not so productive after it was banned. I have had enough of this struggle and it is time for change. I will therefore start a goat rearing project to generate income. I prefer goats because they are drought resistant and they reproduce at a very high rate.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am very happy in the morning because I feel strong after such a heavy sleep. This prepares me to face all my day's activities although they are very tiresome. Imagine uprooting trumps to burn charcoal or walking for over ten kilometres to look for water. These tasks are not easy and it requires strength and motivation.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability as a result of lacking a stable source of income is my biggest hardship. This has kept my family in a state of suffering because I cannot fully support it. I burn charcoal to sustain them but I earn very little from it. This has resulted to bigger problems like food insecurity since we do not get enough from farming, yet there is no money to supplement from the shops.
