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 felt so happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. I was just about to wake up when I heard my phone ring. My daughter is the one that told me that we had finally received the money upon hearing the phone ring as well. I informed all my children of this grate news and they were all very happy that our plans were finally going to be realized.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life since I started receiving payments from GiveDirectly is that I now live a more stress free life. Never before had I been this stress free and I am so grateful about it. Being able to buy additional dairy cow to make them three means that I will be able to meet the cost of basic household needs for my family as well as pay school fees much more easily. The fact that I was also able to complete a house that has been left incomplete since 2015 also made me quite happy.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 35000 to buy a dairy cow and spent another KES 5000 to buy food and clothes for my children. The remaining amount of money was used to erect ceiling boards in our house. When my husband passed on in 2015, he left me with four children to take care of. The four children are all in their secondary school now and I could not accumulate enough money to be able to pay their school fees and at the same time complete the construction of the house he had started building. I have two dairy cows that have been helping me make ends meet and pay their school fees but I felt the need to buy an additional dairy cow that will make the work easier for me. I also made a decision to erect a ceiling with some of the money and I cannot thank GiveDirectly enough fir this support that has left me happy and stress free.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means quality education for my 5 school-going children; 2 in secondary level and 3 in primary level. I am a widow and I have been endeavoring to educate my children through the sale of milk. I have 2 dairy cows which have been my only source of income and I am milking 6 liters a day; out of this, I sell 4 liters at KES 35 per liter and consume 2 liters. I use the proceeds from the sale of milk to meet school expenses and other household recurrent expenditures. I have been aspiring to add one more dairy cow and increase milk production to at least 10 liters a day and sell 8 liters. I will be able to educate them through the college level without much struggle and make them realize their dreams. Fulfilling their dreams will be a lasting joy of satisfaction in my life.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last 6 months, I was able to clear school arrears for my 2 school-going children who are both candidates for primary and secondary school. Additionally, 3 of my children were allowed to sit for their exams yet I had huge arrears which I am hoping to clear in the coming months. I had to forego paying their fees to clear the ones who are sitting their final exams. This has brought happiness as a parent because the school heads allowed my children to sit for their exams without clearing their school fees.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The lack of a constant source of income is the challenge I am currently facing. I have 2 dairy cows which is the only source of income in the household. Since we experience prolonged periods of drought in our region, getting sufficient milk for sale is hard to get during the period. This relates to low income due to reduced milk production from the lack of animal feeds. We solely rely on rainfall to get grass to feed our livestock in the region. I feel unhappy that I have failed to get an alternative source of income and if the drought prolongs for a whole year, our animals will perish.
