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 remember that day very well in my mind. It was around 6:00 pm and we had just finished planting a farm for one of us where we were helping with the planting. We heard out phones ring simultaneously and on checking, two among the three of us had received the money within the same time. One of us had to wait a little longer but we all finally got our transfers. There wouldn't have been a better way to end the day than the way it ended for us. We went home feeling very much happy and brainstorming on what we were going to spend the money on. As we went home, we could hear other villagers conversing and sharing the good news amongst themselves. Happiness could be felt everywhere within the village.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the house that I have been able to build to almost completion. I would not have been able to build such a house anytime soon had I not received money from GiveDirectly. I now have other plans with the second transfer and I am happy that for once I am offering all the plans in place having implemented this plan. I normally rely on proceeds from farming and my husband works as a casual labourer and everything relies on him
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
We spent almost the entire transfer to assemble building materials and to build a new timber house. I was only able to set aside KES 9000 to pay school fees for our children in secondary and primary level of education. The house is yet to be completed because the carpenters that were working on it are so strained- we have a few of them building several houses within the village. We have however paid for all the labour that is required and it is a matter of time before the house is brought to its logical conclusion. I was motivated and driven towards building a timber walled house since we have been living in a mud walled house that is not very easy to maintain as well. I feel so much happy to have been able to accomplish this with the first transfer and I cannot thank God enough for this.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Completing my house would be my priority. Four months ago, I demolished mud walled house and constructed one with timber walls but untill now, I have not bought the metallic windows needed, and the materials for making a concrete floor. I will spend about KES 70,000 on this. I will then buy a dairy cow, to provide us with milk for household consumption and rearing the calves as an investment for meeting future needs such as paying school fees for the children.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the last six months, I have managed to buy a dairy cow from my husband's salary. He works as a security guard in the city. This has brought tremendous changes as I now have a source of income in the milk that I sell, unlike before when I used to wait on him to meet every need.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
The biggest challenge is the lack of a reliable income yet the cost of living is ever rising. The cost of food items that we buy like maize, cooking fat and milk is getting more expensive day by day. Without an income, having to rely on my husband alone, my family of six have been going through many days where we do not have enough food.
