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 is that I now own my own oxen, which will enable me to hire others at a fee which means an income to me and boost my farming practice. Also, I will be able to increase my acreage for the cultivated land to get more yields as well as converting the uncultivated land to be productive again. To me, owning this pair of oxen is the biggest difference in my daily life.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Receiving such an amount at such a time was a big miracle to me for I was going through challenging and tough financial situations and I was happy with the transfer and peaceful ever since that day I received the notification and I was thankful to God and to Givedirectly for the support which would, later on, change my life.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer to purchase a pair of oxen to facilitate farming processes on my farm. I will also be able to cultivate a large piece of land since I could not achieve this previously due to the high cost of hiring from my neighbours and also using inefficient farm tools. Having a pair of oxen is the easiest possible technique to curb the problem of leaving large tracts of land uncultivated. I am happy that now the land which was left out uncultivated will now be fully utilised. I also had problems with my beddings since I was sleeping on a traditional small bed without a mattress, and with the transfer, I was able to acquire a modern wooden bed with a new mattress on which I can sleep on comfortably. l also renovated my sons' house which was grass thatched and it was leaking in times of rains. For this reason, I improved it by purchasing iron sheets for them. I spared the remaining amount of which I am planning to pay for my children school fees as they join high school this year.
Enrolled
access_time over 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means that I will buy oxen and start a shop business for my son. I will use these cows to plough four acres of land instead of two. I will also use them for business purposes. This will increase food security and boost the family's income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the afternoon when I am taking a nap under a tree. This gives me time to plan and focus on how to give my children a better future.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest hardship I am facing in life is lack of my spouse's support in raising my children. My spouse works in Mombasa and comes home after four years and he does not support the family in any way. This has made my four children to drop out of school due to lack of school fees.
