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 had taken my livestock to the field to graze at 3 p.m. when my phone vibrated with a message alert. Since I could not read, I waited for my children to return from school to check what it was all about. Words can barely describe how happy I was that evening when my children confirmed that GiveDirectly had sent me money. For once I saw my star was shining.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Prior to the cash transfers, I could not afford to clear school fees for my nine children due to the mere earnings I made from charcoal burning. As the balances accrued over the academic term, it became more challenging to clear them. Sometimes, my children were drawn from class to collect them, which made them miss out on their studies. Am glad to say that this is no longer a problem now for the lumpsum amount from GiveDirectly helped me clear all the debts at once. The teachers are equally amazed at the decision I made to clear the school fees and have been praising me ever since.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I burn and sell charcoal for a living and to provide for my nine children. Given the low yields from this practice, it is challenging to guarantee daily meals for my family. That is why securing enough food was my priority immediately after I received the money. I spent $ 45 on two bales of maize flour that lasted the household a few days as I bought time to raise money for more. Also, I used $53 to buy a mattress to enjoy a more comfortable sleep. At least, I no longer wake up fatigued as I did before. Furthermore, by the time I got the cash, all my children had pending school fees debt. For the two in high school, I spent $100 to clear the balances and used $30 to settle the primary school debts. I am glad that they continued their studies without being pulled from class to collect money anymore. Next, I obtained eight pieces of iron sheets worth $96. I will use them on a new house that I plan to construct for my children since the current structure is growing small for all of us. Lastly, I bought a cow using the rest amount to expand my herd to five goats and three cows. This livestock is an important investment to me for I can easily sell them to raise funds to support my children’s education in the future.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Am a mother of eight children and all them we are sleeping in one room. The condition is not good adding that we sleep on the ground. It has always my prayer to build another house at least two bedrooms where my children can have enough and comfortable place to sleep. So upon receiving my transfer i will make sure i put up the two room house and also buy beds and mattresses. When i complete that project, as a mother my biggest burden will be relieved totally. I plan to use 50000KES to cater for all those expenses and use the remaining amount for school fees.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My daughter did very well in her primary school exam and she got a very good school. The school fees issue was almost costing her the secondary school education but fortunately, her father got a client who wanted a cow and that's how my daughter went to secondary school. Although she did not go to the school she was selected for but i thank God she is in school.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It has always been a nightmare whenever schools are opened. I have eight children and five are in school. Two are in secondary school and the remaining three in primary school. In a term, am supposed to pay at least 12000KES. This amount is a total disaster to me because the only amount am able to raise here in a month is not more than 5000KES. That shows how stressful am every day. Mind you, it's not the school fees issue that is disturbing me alone. I never sleep happy everyday as a mother. For example, one of my daughter did her primary level exam and she did very well. She got a very good school in one of the best county schools but due to the financial constraints here, we managed to take her to the area day school. To the child, it was a very big disappointment.
