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 learned that I had received my first transfer at around 6 AM. I felt so happy at the moment since I knew the money will transform my life in numerous ways.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Being a widow I was responsible for my family's daily basic needs and I was really straining to make sure I meet them. I have been depending on some casual jobs which were mostly temporary and this made it difficult for me to own some important household items such as beds. Therefore after receiving my first transfer I settled in purchasing wooden beds and mattresses. This is what I have been wishing to have in my life but I could not afford it. Ever since I was born I had never had the joy of sleeping on a comfortable bed like the rest. According to me this makes the biggest difference in my daily life that I can proudly talk of.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a few building materials such as iron sheets, timber, and nails. This was purposely of the renovation of my house which had a leaky roof. I then bought some beddings such as two beds and mattresses to replace the old traditional beds that we have been using for all those years. I also hired someone to prepare my farm since it was a planting season. Later, I saved KES 20000 of the transfer for my children as their school fees. The remaining amount of money I bought some foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Currently, I depend on doing casual work from my neighbor's farm and in return I get cassava or cash money of $2 per day as my pay. This takes much of my time rendering me from working on my farm and as a solution to this, once I receive the cash grant from GiveDirectly, I intend to hire workers to prepare my farm by clearing the bushes in my 3 acres piece of land and this will cost me utmost Ksh.4000. Then, I will hire oxen from my neighbor to till my land which will cost me $50 and this will mean early land preparation something that will cut short the problem of food insecurity. My other plan is to spend $250 to construct a spacious and semi-permanent house because the one I have as of now is small. The remaining amount will help me to pay school fees for my son who is now in form 2 and also to cater to other basic needs. This will change my livelihood for the better and this is generally what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning, I work shortly in my farm before spending my afternoon in my neighbor's farm. I work the whole afternoon and in the evening, I go home with something for my family to eat. It is at this time when I am exhausted but full of joy, knowing that my family will have food on the table.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Working in my neighbors' farms to earn my living is what I have known in my life and this has limited me from working on my farm something that has resulted in food insecurity to my family. With this challenge, sometimes we skip meals and my children are often sent out of school. Therefore, financial constraints are my biggest hardship.
