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?
It was around 11:00 am when I heard my phone ring and on checking it I found out that I had actually received money from Givedirectly. I later informed my husband who equally was very happy to learn of the great news. We got to sit down and plan on how we were going to spend the money yet again.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference is the house that I built and payment of school fees for my children. We were living in a very old and delapidated structure but we are now staying in a new and better house than we were before we received the transfers. I personally cannot stop being grateful to GiveDirectly.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We used almost all the money that we received to build a new house and used the remaining amount to pay school fees for our children who are in secondary school. For a long time we were living in a small house and I always looked forward to getting money and being able to build one. We are happy that the hous is almost coming to completion and we will soon be using it.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I share a one-roomed house with my 3 children which makes me uncomfortable due to lack of privacy. The roof is old and leaking. My husband is a construction casual laborer. The job is hard to get and earns him KES 400 per day which is not sustainable for a household of 5 members. Once I receive this money, I will build a spacious house, furnish it with furniture and bedding for KES 70,000. This is going to impress me because it will be a dream come true. Besides, the remaining amount will help to cater for other basic needs such as food and education expenses.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Life has been full of misery since I got married. Sometimes, I feel like I am cursed because I struggle a lot to make ends meet. However, the fact that I wake up in good health and see the smile on the face of my children gives me hope, joy, and happiness because I feel encouraged hopping the situation will change someday.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband and I rely on charcoal production as a source of income. The job is energy-draining and the returns are not sufficient for all the basic needs of the family. In a month I ean KES 4000 which goes into repaying food items that I took on credit. Due to this, I have been struggling to improve the livelihood of my family. Sometimes, We have to spend the whole day without food hence food insecurity is still the major challenge that I am currently facing in my household.
