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.
Before I received the money from GD, I had no job and stayed at home as a full-time mother. I had been relying on my husband for financial support since I quit my previous charcoal business had due to the government's ban on charcoal sales. The money I received has changed my daily life as I now have my own business and a source of income to take care of my needs without having to depend on my husband. I am also happy because I have something to keep me busy and not sit at home all day doing nothing constructive.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
We had been planning for the money ever since GD staff assured us that it will be sent in March. The moment I saw the text messages confirming that the money had been sent, I had to wake up my husband and share the great news. It was a happy moment and the excitement cannot be described.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
We used part of the money we recently received to buy three goats and one cow as a long term investment of the transfers. I then used the remaining amount to start a new clothes business which I hawk within the village and the nearby market. I am currently selling the clothes from door to door because most of the villagers find it hard to walk to our local market so I take it straight to them which is so far a very good idea.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I am a business minded person and my ambition has always been to own a very stable business. In the past I used to run a second-hand clothes business and a small shop in Mombasa which collapsed due to financial instability. My village is drought stricken and people are not able to access vegetables and most of the time they take ugali with salt. I see this as an opportunity to start a grocery business that will not only generate income but also improve the livelihoods of people. I will also reopen my clothes business which I will run alongside the grocery. I will save extra income in a sacco that will enable me to access loans in order to expand the business and also educate my children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The happiest part of my day is in the morning when I wake up healthy and refreshed. Such a feeling gives me energy to face my daily activities no matter how cumbersome they are. It also gives me hope for a successful day and zeal to work hard in order to build my future.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband lost his job as a driver in 2016 and was reduced to a casual labourer afterwards. Being a housewife I could not help him in any way as I solely depend on him. Living in Mombasa became unbearable as we could not afford to pay rent and school fees for our children. We decided to come back to the village hoping that the situation would change but it is still the same. Meeting basic needs for the family is quite a challenge thus making me regard financial instability as my biggest hardship.
