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 was on my way heading to the town center to try my luck in securing a job. While walking, I met my friend who informed me he had received his transfer and was on his way going to withdraw the money. I got very anxious and checked my phone too. To my surprise, I found out that I had received the money, too. My heart melted with joy and looked up into the sky as I thanked God for blessing me. I turned around and headed straight to the Mpesa shop and withdrew my money, too.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Completing building the house is the biggest difference that the money has made in my life since I started receiving the transfers. During a heavy downpour, I am forced to stay awake and drain out the water sipping through the leaking roof. The cracks on the walls caused by the falling mud due to the rainwater have made the house weak and unsafe to live in. The situation has changed after I repaired the house and I now have peaceful nights and worry less about my safety sleeping inside the house.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
For over two years, my house has been leaking when it rains. This is because I lacked enough money to buy enough iron sheets that will cover the entire house. As a result, the mud covering the walls is slowly being washed away, leaving the house with large holes and cracks. Therefore, when I received my transfer, I spent KES 10000 on buying 8 pieces of iron sheets, 2 bags of cement, and pieces of wood to build my house well. I spent KES 20000 to buy a piece of land that I will use to invest in the future. I plan to build rental shops on my newly gained piece of land, and this will be an alternative source of income. My current job as a mason earns me very little per day and as a result, I cannot meet the daily needs (food, school fees, and clothing) of my family (wife and 6 children). I then spent KES 10000 on paying college fees for my eldest son, who failed to continue with his studies because I had enough money to pay for his school fees. Finally, I spent KES 3000 on buying a solar lamp to light my house well and enable my children to study well. The solar lamp will reduce the cost of buying paraffin used in lighting the lantern lamps, hence saving costs.
Enrolled
access_time almost 3 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
This is like a dream come true. I have longed to start a grocery store at Ndarako centre for ages and all my plans have been futile as the money I get I spend all of it on food and paying school fees for my children. Receiving this money means immediately starting a grocery store. I will use 60,000 KES as my capital and spend the rest on paying school fees and buying food.
What is the happiest part of your day?
The coming of Givedirectly in my village. I got stories of people who had nothing and when they got the unconditional transfers from this organisation their lives changed drastically. When I saw you coming into my compound I was extremely happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Scarcity of job options. The only source of income in this area is making charcoal and the situation is worsening as I have to dig stumps to make charcoal which requires a lot of energy.
Lack of food. I planted two acres of maize and they all dried up as a result of the prolonged drought. I depend on farming to feed my family and because of that failure in farming going to bed hungry is common in my family.
