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 seven in the morning while still asleep when I heard my phone ring. I gave it to my daughter in law who confirmed it was the GD money I had been eargerly waiting for. When I heard the good news I started jumping up and down. Within no time we prepared and went for the money with my son to the nearest MoMo agent.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily is happiness because I now have decent clothing and adequate food. The abundance of food has given me more energy to work on my own farm. I am also grateful because soon I will have a new semi permanent house in place of the old tiny grass thatched one built in 1972.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent KES 27,500 of my transfer on buying building materials and payment of casual building laborers for my semi permanent house which is yet to be built. This is because initially I had a tiny grass thatched roofed house that was built over 50 fifty years ago. I spent KES 1000 on three chicken layers as a source of income for house hold expenditure. I spent KES 7000 on two maize sacks as food for my family. I spent on KES 1200 on latest clothing fashion because initially I used to put on second hand clothes.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will be able to finally construct a comfortable and spacious house for 300USD , furnish it for 200USD, buy some poultry for 100USD and stock food for the upcoming months. I will then use the remaining balance from the transfer to keep myself healthy.
What is the happiest part of your day?
With my current age, I mostly stay at home as a traditional medicine woman. My happiest part of the day falls in the morning when I get customers to promote my work. This will give me a surety that I will have cash to buy food for my family to take for lunch and supper.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Going by my current age, my prime days are long gone and so less energy to work. Therefore, providing food to my remaining kids is so difficult since you cannot grow anything on this area of mine. There is poor rainfall pattern meaning I mostly rely on purchasing almost everything. This is the biggest hardship I have ever experienced.
