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.
The biggest difference in my daily life is that I now have goats. I have been interested in rearing livestock for a long period of time but due to my low capital, I could not afford it. I decided to buy goats because they reproduce fast and require minimum attention as compared to other domestic animals. Apart from that, they can stay in any kind of climate. I believe with time they are going to multiply and I am planning to sell the offsprings and exchange some of them for a dairy cow. The dairy cow will provide us some milk for my family consumption and also I will be selling part of the milk to local shops. This will be my additional income. I believe and hope this will uplift my living standards and I will be able to cater for my family basic needs.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
It was around 9 am when I saw the message notification. When I checked its content, it was from GiveDirectly indicating that they had debited my first transfer into as they had promised. At that moment, my heart was filled with happiness because I knew I would be able to achieve a lot using the transfers.
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying ten goats. I decided to buy goats because they require little supervision as compared to domestic animals. Apart from that, they reproduce twice a year. This means they will multiply at a high rate making me wealthier. The goats can also sustain any kind of climate and the fact that my village is a semi-arid area I am assured they can survive. I later bought some building materials like twenty pieces of iron sheets, building poles and some timber to construct a new house. I decided to build a new house because my previous one was very small and my family is big. It could not accommodate all of us. Apart from that, its condition was also poor. It was ever leaking whenever it could rain. This was really hectic. I am now grateful because we are sleeping under an iron-roofed house which is permanent.
Enrolled
access_time 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My ambition has been to own a hotel business so that I can have a reliable source of income for my family. This desire has never materialized due to lack of capital. Hence, I am forced to depend on my husband whose job is to sell charcoal. Since his support is rarely consistent, receiving this money means starting a hotel at Karimani center and the income from this business will sustain my family needs. I also plan to buy two dairy cows in order to supply milk within the village.
What is the happiest part of your day?
When I wake up in the morning, I clean my compound and prepare breakfast for my family. Having done that, I leave to the bush to do my daily job of burning charcoal. This job is tiresome such that it makes me feel so exhausted when I am back home. It is only in the evening when I get time to rest and therefore, evening is the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I majorly depend on farming but this economic activity has not been reliable for the last two consecutive seasons because of droughts. This has forced my husband and I to rely on charcoal burning as the only source of income for the family. The job is very tedious and usually makes me feel so exhausted. Therefore, lack of reliable source of income is my biggest hardship.
