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 through the money, I acquired four goats to add to my goat shed. To me, these are an additional asset which I can lean on in case of financial needs such school fees for my children who are still at a lower level of education. I also my children's school fees for them to continue with their studies without disturbances. I am also in the process of buying building materials to construct a new spacious house that will be accommodating my children comfortably so that they will stop spending their nights at my neighbor's houses.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the transfer at around 4 o'clock in the morning. On checking the message, it was the promised money from GiveDirectly. At that moment, I became so happy and thankful to them for financial support.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of the transfer to purchase four goats to keep and rear in my homestead. I already had some and adding them to the goats shed, I am expecting that they will reproduce and increase in number and to me, they are assets which I will be relying on upon in case of any future financial challenge. I have also been living in a small house which could not accommodate my family. My children have to seek shelter elsewhere. Currently, I have been able to buy building materials such as building poles. I am hoping to spend the remaining amount to buy the remaining materials to complete the construction of a spacious house. I also paid for my three children's school fees at KES 4000 for them to comfortably stay in school.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My greatest ambition has been to build a seperate house for my children, educate my kids and also to own livestock, but due to lack of adequate income, I am forced to sleep together with my grown up children in the same room. Receiving this money will mean earning me the respect that I have missed many years back. I will be able to build a seperate house for my children, and buy livestock using my first allocation. The second transfer will aid in supporting my children's education and also to start vending vegetables within the village, which will be my reliable source of income. Hence, this will change my life for the better and this is what does receiving this money means to me.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being a house wife, I usually spend the better part of my day doing house work. When I wake up in the morning, I prepare my children to school, and leave to go and fetch water from the nearby pan. In the afternoon hours, I mostly assist my husband in preparing the reeds to be used in making the buskets. My evening is always full of joy due to the presence of my children who would have come back home from school. Therefore, I consider evening as the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I am a house wife with no reliable source of income to supplement the little amount earned by my husband from his buskets weaving business. This situation has forced us to skip some meals and also my children are mostly sent home due to lack of school fee. Therefore, lack of reliable source of income is the biggest hardship that I have ever faced.
