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?
The receipt of the first transfer came with lots of happiness since it was the first time having a promise come to pass within a short time. No one could easily believe but on receiving, this confirmed that GiveDirectly meant everything they said. It was around 6:00 pm when I got a message and had to share the news with the family and planned to collect it after a week.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the complete change in my life and my family's after adding up some money in my maize selling business. I am glad that the boost has worked wonders and increased the profit margin since I can sell a lot to many customers when they visit my shop.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
During enrollment, I had a grand plan to invest in a dairy cow since I had been spending a lot on buying milk for my family of six. It was quite unfortunate that the cost of livestock rose so high that I had to change my mind and bought four goats at KES 29000 that I am currently rearing. I am planning to sell them out in December to buy a dairy cow in January when the cost of livestock will have dropped. I also spent KES 7200 on foodstuff for my family, injected KES 13000 into my maize grains business, and used the remaining in buying new pairs of clothes for my four children. At the moment, I am glad that the business has improved a lot and with an impressive profit margin that will facilitate expansion in the future.
Enrolled
access_time 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My family of 6 has been depending on the maize trading business, a venture that I initiated 7 years ago, for a living. 2 years ago, the cost of living was affordable as I used to purchase a 90kg bag of maize at KES 2500 compared to now that it goes for KES 4400. This is comparably expensive hence I opted to reduce the stock due to the available finances. However, my wish has been to expand this business to reach out to more people as well as increase the profits but unfortunately, finances have failed me. It is a sigh of relief now for I intend to use KES 50000 to purchase more stock for the business. I will be glad that my family will have a constant source of income and the community will also have food within their reach.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Word has it that pregnancy is as delicate as an egg and I can attest to that. When my wife conceived, I prayed to God to guide her through to term. Truth to my prayer, my wife safely delivered a baby girl in March 2022. I was delighted to be named a dad for the 4th time.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Being a businessman, especially in the food sector, one needs a constant supply to the end-users. However, the challenge I am currently facing is a lack of capital to expand the business. The economy has hit a paradigm shift hence exposing the businessmen to losses for everything has been expensive. It pains me that much of the profits go towards the family needs such as food and education hence reducing the finances for continuity of the venture.
