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 on the farm clearing it ready for the planting season which was about to start. I was with my relative who had been assisting me in cultivating. I received the messages alert at around 10 am when I was busy with work. I had to wait until when I went home for my helper to confirm the account balance. So upon reaching home, I was very happy when I was informed that I had received the transfer that I had eagerly awaited from GiveDirectly. It was the happiest moment of my life since I had never received such a huge amount of money in my life.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Being able to boost my livestock rearing is the biggest difference in my life. Previously, I did not have enough animals that would assist me whenever I have an emergency. I am grateful for the transfer, in addition, I am enjoying my nights sleeping on comfortable bedding unlike before when I was using mat.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I had never had the privilege of sleeping on proper modern bedding in my life. For all those years, I have been using a mat that was not comfortable, and always felt body pain. Upon receiving the transfer, I spent KES 7,000 to purchase a proper modern mattress for myself. Currently, I am enjoying my nights and always looking forward to the night when I would relax my body after a busy day working on the farm. I also used KES 14,500 to purchase one local dairy cow a future investment for myself. I will be able to sell its offspring once it reproduces to encounter any financial challenges. Moreover, I bought 6 bags of cement and sand for the renovation of my house which was not strong enough. Similarly, I set aside KES 6000 for the labor cost. With the remaining amount, I acquired sufficient food for the family.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Proper sanitation has been my desire for over 10 years now. For that period, I have been disposing my human waste in bushes. This has posed a threat to our health. Poor hygiene can be a source of a disease outbreak. 3 years ago, my daughter started constructing a toilet but the process halted when she got married. I have been unable to finish the project because I have no money. When I successfully receive the transfers, I will use 25,000 KES for the completion of the toilet. Cleanliness will lower the chances of a disease outbreak.
What is the happiest part of your day?
At 65 years of age and still mastering energy to take care of my livestock and still do some charcoal burning is my source of happiness. I am very thankful for this because I can at least sort out a few of my needs.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I partially work as a charcoal burner to earn a living. At 65 years of age, I cannot be productive because I am less energetic. This translates to a low income. I make approximately 2,000 KES a month. This amount is not even enough to sort out my month's needs. It is for this reason that I have been unable to construct a toilet.
