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 very very happy when I received the transfer, I was very happy because I knew that the money will help me buy so many things that I was not able to buy. I am a single mother of six children and raising the children is not easy. To find food I farm but I have no other source of money and because of this I was not able to build a house for me and my children. Knowing that I am now building a a house fills me with joy and happiness.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my life is that after receiving the transfer I bought bags of maize and my my family has plenty of food to eat compared to before when we had no money. I am also going to have my own house. Finding money is so difficult for me as I have no job and I have to feed six children on my own, because of this we were not are to own a house and sleep in the outside kitchens .
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I have spent my transfer from GD start building my house. I am building a house because I have no house. I have six children but we all sleep in a kitchen. The reason I have not been able to build a house is because I have no source of money. I have no job. I have also used the money to buy a mattress so that I have a more comfortable place to sleep on and not on a mat . And lastly I have used my money to buy bags of maize so that my family has enough food to eat.
Enrolled
access_time over 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have been living in this hut for the past three months as my former house developed huge cracks after heavy rains which became life threatening.
Hence we decided to fell the house and try to build another one. As a result of inadequate money, we only stopped at foundation level. The parents of these children are also poor despite living in town to seek pieceworks.
This money has given us a huge opportunity to finish the house which I believe will better than the one we wanted to build. We shall also use some money to buy other utensils for keeping water and for cooking. Since some of these grandchildren are no longer in school due to lack of fees. The ones continuing will be assisted with notebooks and other necessities to make sure they continue school.
The problems of food lacking will also lessen as we shall purchase bags of maize and keep some for the foreseeable future.
What is the happiest part of your day?
As someone who has less opportunities to earn money. I just stay at home and take care of the children. Whenever my body allow, I do my best to beg from neighbours or look for condiments in the field to supplement the meals. This always give me joy to see the children eating.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I live with these grandchildren because their parents are too poor to raise them in town. Despite bringing them here, I am not assisted enough to make sure they are well fed. Hence,that has been my main challenge ever since;feeding these children.
