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?
I felt so happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. I read the message at around 6:45 am that day and I could not keep my cool. I called the other memebers of my village to find out if they had received the money as well and they were equally happy to report to me that they had received their portion. I later on in the day withdrew my money as I settled down on how I was going to put the money into the best use.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the assets that I was able to buy with this transfer. I do not take it for granted that I have been able to actualize my dream of buying goats that had always puzzled me. These goats are very essential to me since I will be able to sell them once they mature and easily raise school fees for my children. This is an assurance that my children will have the best education uninterrupted like I have always desired them to have. I am looking forward to seeing them join secondary and perform well in their studies as well. I feel so much indebted to GiveDirectly for this timely support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used KES 30000 of my first transfer to buy goats for rearing, used KES 4000 to buy maize for local consumption and injected KES 10000 into my grocery business. I also used the remaining amount to buy clothes and other basic household neccesities for the family. I made a decision to buy the goats since this is an investment that will see me pay the secondary school fee for my children with a lot of ease. Goats mature much faster than any other livestock and they sell at high prices and this will allow me to pay school fees with much ease.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Provision of quality education to my kids has always been at the top of my priority list. I intend to achieve this through venturing in goat rearing investment. I will use my transfer to purchase 20 goats at a cost of $800 and the remaining balance to construct their shed. This will provide me with a sustainable flow of income that will cater for not only the education cost of my kids but other needs of my family.
What is the happiest part of your day?
After I am done with my usual household chores, I head to my farm to carryout some farm activities until noon. In the afternoon I chop some feeds for my cattle and milk them. In the evening I take some milk to the nearby shopping center to sell so as I can get some cash to buy foodstuff for my family to take for supper. The happiest part of my day arises in the evening when I can give an account for the day and all of my objectives have been realized.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I used to rear goats not so long ago in my farm. This used to provide me with a sustained flow of income through their sale as they used to multiply at a faster rate. Three years ago, there was an extended period of drought and the health of my goats started to deteriorate and others died due to hunger. I could not sustain them anymore as I had to sell all of them at a throw away price to salvage something. As a result of this, I went through a great loss and up until now I still think of this.
