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 at home alone rearing my livestock when I heard a notification on my phone.Upon confirming,it was a message from Give directly. I was happy that the plans we had could commence almost immediately since we had been anticipating for the cash transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is owning a cow that will provide milk to my family since we had always wanted to acquire one.In future it can also provide us with surplus production and we can sell it as a source of income for us cater for other household expenses.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
With the first Kshs 30,000 of my transfer, I purchased a dairy cow. We had been depending on my mother who would give us half a litre of milk and with a family of six people, it could not sustain us. I also needed to build an additional house since we had been living in a one-roomed house with my children and I felt this was a great chance to have a spacious house. With Kshs.20,000 I acquired all construction materials and am glad the construction is underway and in a few months, this will be completed. With the remaining amount, I bought a few household items and a sack of maize which will sustain us as we anticipate the second transfer.
Enrolled
access_time 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
In my entire life I have worked as a casual labourer within the village.The jobs I do include fencing,weeding, digging up boreholes and carrying logs.Building a house has been a great struggle to me to an extent that we have to endure the impacts it has such as leaking of the roofs .This causes discomforts especially when it rains at night .My family and I have to find a place to lay their heads while their feet and beddings get soaked with the drips of water from the roof . Moreover this house is becoming too small for our growing family.My family consist of four kids and my lovely wife.All activities such cooking ,sleeping and guests entertainment are done in this single room .Am always uneasy and worried when guests come around,this is because there is insufficient space nor chairs within my house,the room is too hot on a sunny day due to heat from the fire and the sun. With this amount I shall put up a new house of twenty four iron sheets each at the cost of KES 800 and KES 5000 for doors and windows. In addition ,this roof will be renewed at the cost of KES 12000.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As a casual laborer, I spent the better part of my day in people's farms either weeding, planting, or harvesting crops. This happens almost regularly and when not in the farm am at the construction site carrying bricks. Although this work is exhaustive am always happy in the evenings when I come home with a packet of flour and milk.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a father with four kids to feed demands a lot of effort. I am a victim of early marriage, my wife and I got married at the tender ages of 15 and 17. Our levels of education are quite low and thus without any school certificate, we cannot afford to secure stable jobs. I have to endure the scorching heat of the sun, the colds, and the rains all my life to earn a living. The high cost of living at the moment has certainly impacted densely on me, this is because with the KES 200 I get from the manual work I do, KES 100 is spent on flour, KES 40 on milk, KES 50 on sugar, and KES on the soap. My family has to sleep hungry when I fail to secure a job in a day. For instance, last week was a tough time for us, neither I nor my wife earned income for two consecutive days. With this situation, we slept hungrily and only the kids could take porridge then sleep. The lack of a stable job is the major challenge I face.
