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 transfer has enabled me to venture into farming of watermelons which I had desired for long. Though I had enough land, the capital to start this project was inadequate. Through the transfer from GiveDirectly, I was able to pay for manpower in the preparation of my farm and bought enough seeds that will ensure that my farm is effectively utilized. I know that once they are ready to sell, I will earn good long term profits by selling in towns and cities. To me, this is the biggest difference in my daily life since it has not only changed my life for a short while but it has changed it completely. I will continue with the project even after GiveDirectly will have stopped sending us money.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I received the message notification early in the morning. On checking to confirm who the sender was, I realized that it was from GiveDirectly informing me that I had received my first transfer in my Mpesa account. I was filled with happiness and I rejoiced with my family as we planned on what to spend the transfer on.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent KES 10,000 from my transfer to plough my farm in preparation for planting season. My desire has been to venture into farming of watermelons to sell in in order to generate more income since my salary is not enough to meet all our daily needs. I had my 5-acre land which was readily available and not utilized thus it is a big boost for the success of my project. I also spent KES 4600 to buy the watermelon seeds enough for the whole acreage. I am expecting to generate a good income in a few months to come for there is a high demand for watermelons in the nearby towns and cities in which I am planning to sell them. In addition to this, I bought 20 goats using the remaining amount. I added some money from my own savings in order to acquire these goats. I am keeping these goats and once they mature and reproduce, they will increase in number from which I will be able to sell to generate more income. I settled on goats since they are easily available at fair prices.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Besides being a teacher, it has always been my desire to invest in agribusiness in order to supplement my source of income. However, I have not been able to achieve this because of lack of enough capital. . Bamba being a dry area with unpredictable rainfall patterns, I will invest in drought resistant crops specifically watermelons which I will supply to vendors at Kongowea market in Mombasa. Therefore, this will mean purchasing three pairs of oxen to scale up farming in order to facilitate my project.
What is the happiest part of your day?
I am mostly happy in the evening when I am marking my pupils' exercises. This is because I get to evaluate myself to see whether I have achieved my objectives as a teacher. It gives me an opportunity to improve and offer more quality education to the children as well as building my capacity and teaching skills.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I suffered from amoeba for 3 years, a condition that really drained my financial resources. I even sold my goats to take care of medical bills and to date my life has never been the same. This is because I was not able to save anything and I am struggling too much to make ends meet with my salary. I can therefore say financial constraint is my biggest hardship.
