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 usually start my morning by cleaning my compound and supervising my children while preparing to go to school. One of them asked for the time because they were late. That's when I remembered my phone was off. I went for it and upon restarting and done with checking the time, I saw an mpesa message. I was curious to know who could have sent me money that morning. When I read the contents, I realised the money had been sent by GiveDirectly. I had finally received my first transfer as promised. I could not hold back the joy that I felt that morning. This transfer meant a lot to me because I was planning to build a decent house for my family.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I am glad that GiveDirectly came to me at the moment I needed them most. I was in distress seeing my children seeking shelter from neighbours at night because I couldn't accommodate them. My living house was very small and I had no hopes of building a better house. I could not afford the cost of buying construction materials for building a spacious house. I was also using the old traditional bed and worn-out mats to sleep on. This could not offer a good sleep at all. I am grateful because I managed to build a new decent and spacious house through the transfer. I am at peace now because my children are no longer seeking shelter from anyone. In addition to building the house, I also purchased a new bed and mattress and replaced the old beddings. I would not have achieved all these had I not received the financial support.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
My desire has been to accommodate my young children who were sleeping with their grandmother in the same hut. Even studying was impossible since it was not spacious enough. This troubled me as their parent and my ambition was to build a new house so that they could use my current house. When I received the first transfer, I spent it on buying building materials which include 26 pieces of iron sheets, building poles and nails and built the house. Upon completion of the house, I went ahead and replaced the old traditional bed with a modern bed and a mattress. I am now sleeping peacefully unlike when I was using the old beddings. I really appreciate GiveDirectly for changing my life and that of my children. They are now able to study after I installed a solar lamp that I bought through the transfer.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My house has little space for all my five children to sleep in. I have five children 3 of them sleep in their grandmother's house because they are grown-ups and sharing with them a sleeping place is not good culturally. I am worried about their moral behavior because there is no one to monitor them while they are there. They are fast approaching the adolescent stage which worries me too. The main focus now is to build a big house with space that can accommodate all of them hence reducing my worry. Putting up a new structure will cost me 30,000 KES, then I will use 20,000 KES to furnish it. The remaining 60,000 KES will help me in paying my children's school fees, boosting my coconut business, and saving the rest of the money in case of an emergency. I will spend the balance as follows 10,000 KES on fees another 10,000 KES on business and 40,000 KES on savings. Receiving this money, therefore, means good housing for my family and a boost to my business too.
What is the happiest part of your day?
GD coming to my village has given me hope again because I will now be in a position to take my children to a good hospital for treatment.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
My children are often getting sick. I have tried to use traditional herbs to treat them but unfortunately, this has not worked. Lack of money has made me prefer traditional medicine because they are cheap. I am worried if I do not get cash to get them good treatment things might worsen. The challenge that I currently face in my life is, therefore lack of finances to even seek medication for my children.
