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 biggest difference in your daily life.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now own an ox that I acquired with the first transfer I received from GiveDirectly. I will be borrowing the other ox from my neighbour so that they can work as a pair. They will help me in ploughing my farm since the pair can take fewer days to plough an acre as compared to tilling myself. I believe I will get an increased harvest. Apart from that, I will hire it to my neighbors at a fee to make an extra income to help me sustain my family needs with ease. From the money that I will be getting, I want to start a business of a hotel and this will double my income. I believe my life will never be the same again in the next few months.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 6bam when I was preparing my children for school. I heard my phone ringing so loudly. I decided to check what the notification was all about, only to realize it was an Mpesa message fro GD I was very happy. I started planning on how I would utilize the money.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying an ox. My wish was to have a pair but I had some other basic needs to cater to. I then bought some building poles and some iron sheets I wanted to construct a small kitchen. We used to cook inside the house and it was small. I also paid school fees for my children. My children have been staying home for a whole term because if the huge fee balance. They missed very important exams and this affected their academic performance. The remaining amount I bought enough foodstuffs for my children and other household items.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Providing capital to my daughter to start vending vegetables, educating my grandchildren and buying livestock is what receiving this money means to me. Being a widow with no reliable source of income, I majorly depend on my daughter who is selling coconut wine in order to provide our basic needs. Her income is very low such that, it cannot fully sustain us. The aid from GiveDirectly will change our life for the better, since I plan to give my daughter, half of the first transfer to start selling vegetables. The other remaining transfer will support me in buying livestock and supporting my grandchildren's education. Therefore, this is basically what receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning, I leave to fetch water from a tap that is four kilometers away. When I am back home, I prepare my first meal for the day. In the evening, I feel very happy because, it is at this time when I get much time to talk and share dinner with my grandchildren. Therefore, I consider evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Subsistence farming is what I have known in my life. As at today, this type of farming is not reliable due to the harsh climatic condition in our area. This has forced me to depend on my daughter who opted to sell coconut wine in order to provide for our basic needs. Her job requires more time, usually the night hours in order to get more customers. Despite her job being time consuming, her earning is very low such that, it cannot sustain us. This makes me feel that, lack of reliable source of income as my biggest hardship.
