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?
The moment I saw the Mpesa notification was 5am in the morning confirming that I received the money at 11.30pm the previous night while asleep. I was overwhelmed with joy and informed my family who were equally excited and we couldn't sleep anymore. That day we work woke up earlier than usual at around 6.30am instead of the normal 8am due to excitement from GiveDirectly transfers.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is availability of adequate food for my family and adequate clothing especially during the recent Christmas season. This is because initially I had to rely on casual labor to feed and clothe my family but GiveDirectly transfers have relieved of all of these and I am very grateful.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my transfer on completion of my two roomed timber-walled house. This is because initially I had a tiny timber-walled corner house which acted as a kitchen and bedroom at the same time hence need for expansion in order to accommodate my family well.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means alot to my family of 3. For the past two years, I have had the desire to own a dairy cow. Currently we depend on our parents to get milk for our two year old child and sometimes we purchase from a nearby milk vendor. My spouse went back to school for her secondary school studies after having our first born daughter last year. I do casual jobs in order to raise her school fees and meet other family basic needs such as food and clothing. On a good day, I earn around KES 400 which is not enough to cater for all these needs at once. Upon receiving this transfers, I will use KES 30,000 to purchase a dairy cow. This will reduce the cost of buying milk and also generate income for us in the future. The rest of the money I will spend in on building a better house.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Good health and enough food is what has bought joy to my family. Waking up every morning healthy is not a guarantee and so when I see my family doing well it gives me happiness. For the last six months none of my family has been sick and I am thankful to God. I am able to take part in the normal duties and work to be able to provide for my family.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The challenge I am facing currently is financial constraints. I do casual jobs for a living whereby per day I earn KES 400. This only meets family basic needs such as food, medication and clothing. It has been difficult to raise school fees for my wife who is still in secondary school. Currently as we speak, my spouse has been at home for the last 3 days after being sent home to collect school fee balances. I feel bad when I see her missing out on her studies because I cannot provide all she needs for school. She still has arrears of KES 5,000 which I am hopeful to be able to clear soon with the saving from our table banking.
