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 biggest difference in your daily life.
I am happy and proud that we now have another asset under our name. We had bought some piece of land from a neighbor but we did not have enough money to pay all that was needed. After paying the balance, I fenced off the piece of land and planted some livestock feed. Having made these progress is the biggest difference in my life. In a few months, I know that I will have increased the production of my cows now that there would be enough feeds for them and a comfortable shed.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I was busy doing the usual morning chores before heading to school where I work as a teacher when I overheard my neighbor saying with excitement that he had received her transfer. I immediately got my phone to check if I had also received a message. True to his words my transfer had already been sent. I had initially doubted them because of the bad experience that I encountered with other organizations. The first person that I broke the news to was my spouse. We immediately kickstarted what we had planned to do with the money.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I am a dairy farmer with two Friesian cows. I have always wanted to improve and grow my dairy farming but lack of finances was a limitation to this project. When I received my transfers from GiveDirectly, I decided to use part of it on constructing a shade for my cows. The cows are now safe and comfortable in their new environment. Besides that, I also paid off debts that were pending after I bought some pieces of land and fence them equally. The other plan was working on their feeds. This was the best decision since I won't have to buy fodder anymore, hence reduced cost.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have always desired to improve my dairy farming. Receiving this money will enable me to buy a chaff cutter that costs approximately 45,000 shillings. I will also use at least 30,000 to build a store for my feeds. The balance will be used in fencing my farm.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Being a primary school teacher, my day entails doing house chores such as milking my 2 cows after which I go to school for the rest of the day. The happiest part of my day therefore is in the evening after I have accomplished my objectives at school and at home.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Since I have a small farm, my biggest challenge currently as a dairy farmer is that I don't have enough feeds for my 2 cows. As a result, my milk production is little (10 litres daily) as compared to the type of breeds that I have. My goal is to achieve a higher milk production of approximately 30 litres per cow so that I can enjoy the fruits of my dairy farming.
