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?
Early that morning I was weeding my crops on my farm and my son came running shouting my name. He informed me that I had received the promised funds from Givedirectly. I was super excited and immediately left what I was doing to join him celebrate the good news. I was happy since I knew all the plans I had put in place were going to kick off.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Owning a heifer that will provide us milk throughout is the biggest difference in my daily life. This gives me hope of soon producing milk both for consumption and surplus for sale later.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
On receiving the first transfer I spent KES 35,000 on purchasing an in-calf heifer that I will be rearing with the hope of soon calving down so that we can get milk. I had been over-dependent on purchasing milk from the neighborhood and at times I would not get the milk, especially during dry seasons. I also spent KES 15,000 on completing a house I had constructed but had not installed the ceiling. The house is now fully covered with a ceiling and we are enjoying the warmth, especially during the rainy seasons. The remaining amount, I spent on buying food for my family.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
This being a drought-prone area, getting safe water for domestic use is a challenge because the nearest water pan is 2kilometers away. Every day I spend 4 hours fetching water and transporting it on my back home using a 20-liter jerrican. This job is strenuous for a 68-year-old woman like myself and it often leaves me with chest pains. I have a desire to own a 3000-liter water tank to help me harvest rainwater to save me the pain of going to fetch every other morning. Receiving this money will enable me to buy a water tank so that I do not have to fetch water every other day.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last month I received visitors from various churches around here who came to check on my husband's wellbeing. Spending some time together and also praying is something that uplifted my soul and made me happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My husband is 98-years and has not been feeling well for the past 3-years now and this has affected his mobility. He cannot walk on his own without being supported and this has forced me to be by his side every other time, denying me the chance of doing other productive activities. I have sold family assets like livestock to raise money for his medication but doctors have told me that nothing much can be done to salvage his situation because of his advanced age. His condition is getting us worried and I pray that he gets better
