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?
It was early in the morning when I decided to check my phones inbox and as I read through the messages, I came across the one message I have been anxiously waiting for, a message from GiveDirectly informing me that I had received my first transfer. I felt happy for this financial support and thanked them.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I spent a bigger portion of this transfer to buy a dairy cow. I believe that very soon I will be getting milk to sell and also for my family's consumption. I will be getting a living through selling milk. Besides, it will reproduce and have many more. I will be able to sell the offspring to raise more money for the future of my children's education. Owning this dairy, which would have otherwise taken me years to acquire makes the biggest difference in my daily life.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
Upon receiving my first transfer, I spent KES 30000 to buy a dairy cow. I resolved to buy this cow because through it I will be getting milk which I am planning to sell. I already had a herd in my homestead and I am happy that I have been able to add to my cowshed. I am also expecting that it will reproduce and have many of them. Even when I am faced with a financial problem, I will be able to sell the offspring and raise more finance. My husband is also operating a shop business which has been our main source of income. Thus I invested KES 15000 to add stock to it so as to enable him operate profitably. Apart from this, I also spent KES 8000 to clear school fees for my child in high school.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means better livelihood for my children. The capacity to provide quality education and being food secured is what I've been yearning for in life. To achieve this I purpose to invest in livestock rearing, particularly oxen which will help during planting season. The main reason for persistent food insecurity year in year out is lack of better means of cultivation which leads to untimely planting and subsequently poor yields. Having my own oxen will address this issue in totality. I'm certain there is going to be robust harvest enough for family consumption and the surplus been sold to the outside market, earning us an extra income.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Evening is the happiest part of my day. After spending the entire day attending household errands and farm work, I always take a well-deserved rest in the evening and this informs the best moment of the day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Lack of adequate resources has been the biggest hardship to face in life. Coming from a polygamous household of 3 wives, there is no sense of Independence because we all reside under the same roof and share the little resources that are available. With 20 children to care for, our husband is always overwhelmed, and the dismal income he gets from his tobacco business is hardly enough to sustain our needs. Oftentimes, the situation boils down to survival for the fittest as everyone has an interest in bettering the living condition of their kin and that has been a threat to family cohesion.
