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 10 am, I was on my way back home from the bush where I had gone to prepare charcoal for sale. I received message notification on my phone. Being unable to read, I had to reach home for my helper to check my phone. After reaching home, my helper verified the phone and informed me that I had received my transfer and it was at exactly 4 pm after came back home from school. That was the happiest moment in my life, I felt excited about receiving my transfer.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I will be able to reside in a spacious house with my family when I complete the construction. I will be able to live in the same house with my daughters something that will restore my happiness. I will no longer have to worry about the safety of my daughters at night.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Constructing a decent spacious house for my family has been my longing for years now. This is because the house that I had earlier was very small and leaks during the rainy season. My grown-up daughter had to seek shelter from my neighbour every night which bothers me a lot. After receiving my transfer, I bought 20 iron sheets, building poles which coated 30500. In addition, used KES 8000 to support the education of my 6 children one in secondary school. Lastly, I used the remaining to acquire food since there is famine in our area.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a spacious house to my family. I am living in a small house together with my three children. I am planning to spend Kshs.40,000 to build a two-bedroom house that will be enough for my household. I will also use Ksh.15,000 to pay school fees for my children. I will use a portion of the second transfer to buy two indigenous cows at Ksh.30,000 to produce milk for my own consumption. The remaining amount will help me cater to other basic needs such as food and medical expenses.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the evening.This is because I get enough time to rest.Unlike in the morning and afternoon hours, when I am in forest cutting logs to burn charcoal.This time I am normally busy and tired.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I have ever faced in my life is the lack of a spacious house. I am a housewife who relies on a charcoal burning business which is Labor intensive and the return is lower- Ksh 1200 which is not enough for all basic needs. Due to this, It is difficult to save enough money to build a bigger house for the whole family. My three elder children are accommodated by a relative, something that is embarrassing.
