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 busy grinding corn in the evening when I received a message on my phone. I was thrilled to discover that it was an Mpesa message and was curious to find out who had sent me money, as I wasn't expecting any. Upon reading the message, I couldn't contain my joy. GiveDirectly had sent me the first promised transfer. This was a huge relief because I couldn't afford the school fees for my daughter, who had been sent home for almost a week. Now, she could finally return to continue her studies.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
I have been raising my four children single-handedly while relying on my small business of selling soft drinks, palm wine, and beer in the village. They are all in school: two in high school and two in primary school, and they are all in boarding. Educating them without any external support nearly killed my business, as every cent went to their fees. Still, I could not clear their fee arrears, and they were frequently sent home. I was unable to pay on time, and the eldest is currently in her final year of study. I was troubled about how I would be able to pay for her since she was missing a lot from school. Before I received the transfer, a week had elapsed and she was still at home, unsure when she would return to school. Receiving the transfer brought a ray of hope not only to my daughter but to all the others since I cleared the arrears, and they were allowed to continue with their studies. This has given me peace of mind, knowing that my children's education is not interrupted due to lack of fees, because my business is currently not doing well.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I am so grateful for the support I received from GiveDirectly because it came at a time when I was in financial distress. My daughter, who is currently in her final year of studies, had been sent home from school due to the large outstanding fees. In order for her to return to school, she needed to clear the arrears, and I was unable to raise the full amount. It pained me to see her missing out on weeks of education. When I received the first transfer, my priority was to ensure that my daughter returned to school, so I used $200 to clear her fee arrears. I was relieved and happy to see her allowed to continue with her studies as she prepares for her final examination at the end of the year. I also used some of the money to pay the school fees for my other three children - one in high school and two in primary school, which amounted to $100. Additionally, we did not have a toilet in our compound, so I decided to use the remaining amount to buy the necessary building materials and build a pit latrine. This is a huge step forward for our family, as having our own toilet will reduce the risk of infections and ensure our safety.
Enrolled
access_time 6 months ago
What do you plan to do with the cash transfer?
Boosting my business and establishing a decent place of work is generally my greatest desire. Currently, I do not have a room for my soft drinks' business, a situation that has led to low profit. I, therefore, intend to spend $500 of my money to ensure my business thrives well. This will mean a full-time business and eventually a high profit. On the other hand, I will use the remaining amount to support the education of my children, both in secondary and primary schools. What a better life to have all these achieved!
What is the happiest part of your day?
The food security in my household! I am a grateful person today because I thank God for the gift of life and the provision of energy to work for my family. Currently, I have enough food that can sustain us for the next 1 year courtesy of the good rains we received in October to December last year. This has given peace of mind and I am so happy to focus on the education of my children. Hence, I consider this as what has brought me joy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Raising my five children single handedly has posed a big challenge to me because I do not have a reliable source of income to depend on. Currently, I have a small business of selling soft drinks but I have never established a working place to call it a business. I usually sell them during community functions and in the event there is non, I stay idle at home. This has made me financially insecure and it has directly affected the education of my children. One of them had to drop in form three due to accumulated debt in school. Hence, I consider financial constraints as my biggest challenge.
