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 almost 6 pm and I was just at home relaxing after getting done with the day's work. I had heard my sister and my father saying that they had already received their transfers. I was hence wondering why mine had not been sent and I was a bit worried. Suddenly, as I was still pondering my mind about it, my phone rang notifying me of a new message. I quickly opened it and wow! there was the money that I had been eagerly waiting for. I was so excited that I jumped up with joy. I thanked God and GiveDirectly for blessing me. That day was our happiest in the community since there were celebrations everywhere.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference that the transfer has brought into my life and that of my family is that my children now have enough food for their consumption. I thus no longer spend a lot of money on food and I have managed to save most of the money that I make from the business. The business has thus improved.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent most of my recent transfer on buying a cow. I bought it at KES 30000. I decided to buy it because I didn't have one and hence I didn't have a source of milk that my children can consume. We were thus at times given some milk from home but most of the time I used to buy it. I usually do the business of buying and selling milk in the village and I usually keep a liter for the consumption of my three children. I also bought two goats at a total cost of KES 7000 with part of the transfer. I decided to buy them because the goats are going to be my source of milk when the cow is dry. Other than that, I also bought 3 bags of maize for our consumption at a cost of KES 2800 per bag. With the remaining amount of money, I used it in buying clothes for myself and the children's. I also used KES 2000 that I invested in my milk selling business. This business is what I usually depend on to buy food and pay for the merry-go-round contributions in the self-help groups that I have joined. The money saved in the self-help groups is what I usually depend on to pay school fees for the children. I am thus so much grateful for the help from GiveDirectly.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
Receiving this money means a healthy life for my three children. Currently, my children can not get enough nutrition because I do not have a cow. I am a single parent depending mainly on casual work. I earn KES 250 a day when I get the opportunity to work, the little I get will use it for daily meals and save little for school fees. For the last 3 years, my children have never had the opportunity to drink milk since I do not have a cow, and with the little money, I earn I can not buy milk daily for them. I will use KES 60,000 to buy two dairy cows that will produce around 8 liters of milk a day. I will also buy a piece of land worth KES 35,000. This is because I want to own land and move away from my father's land.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Last month God blessed us with rains in the area after a long dry period of eight months. With the rainfall, I managed to plant vegetables, beans, and sweet potatoes. I am expecting a good harvest by the end of the month, I will sell the surplus and the money I will get out of it will go to the school fees.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Financial instability is my biggest challenge. I am a single mother and I do not have stable sources of income. I do casual jobs which help me meet my daily household needs. I am paid KES 250 a day when I work. Gathering for a family of four people makes it hard to save or get all the basic things we need as a family.
