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.
Having the two dairy cows has made my life to be totally different and I can proudly mention. First, I settled in rearing them in my compound because of various reasons. One, I will be getting milk for free for my family consumption, previously I used to buy from friends which were a bit expensive and sometimes I could not afford it. In addition to this, I will start a business of selling the remaining liters of milk to friends and in the local markets. I truly believe this will uplift my standard of living. I will be able to pay school fees for my children as well as meeting their daily needs with ease.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 7 am when I had gone to prepare my farm then I heard my phone ringing. I decided to check who it could be. Upon checking, I confirm it was an mpesa message from GiveDirectly. I was very happy since I knew I would achieve a lot.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying two dairy cows. I have been yearning to own them for long but due to my financial status, I could not afford it. I then bought some building materials such as iron sheets, building poles. These were purposely for the renovation of my house which was small and in a poor condition. I then cleared school fees for my children because they had some huge fee balances and they have been staying home for a while. The remaining amount of money, I bought sufficient foodstuffs for my family that would take us to the next harvesting seasons.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I live with my co wife in the same room and our house has been used as a kitchen something that has made it to have a sooty roof. Our plan was to spend $200 to extend an extra room so that we may have separate living rooms and this will mean a comfortable life. In addition to this we will use 100 dollars to buy beddings to replace the old ones since as of now we rarely get better sleep and our health has deteriorated due to the much pains we get from the bed ropes. With the second transfer, I plan to spend it on purchasing 3 dairy cows so that they may multiply with time and also to get milk that we may sell to get income for our upkeep.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Currently, I am sick and I usually spend my day at home. Waking up in the morning gives me the feeling of thanking God for the protection over the night. It is also at this time when my co wife prepares breakfast for me which I enjoy most.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Life has never been easy to us ever since our husband died 13 years ago. This has forced us to depend on our son who is doing casual work within the village. His income has never been consistent and this has forced my co wife to burn charcoal in order to supplement the little income from our son. In most cases, we have skipped meals something that has affected us health wise.
