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 around 6 in the evening when I was preparing an evening meal when I heard my daughter calling my name while smiling. I suspected there was some good news. Upon inquiring, she said that I had received my first cash transfers from GiveDirectly. I felt extremely happy I remember having left the cooking and to start the celebrations with all my family members.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having the goats in my compound has brought the biggest difference in my daily life that I will always be proud to mention. I opted for the goats because they take little time to mature and they can survive so well in my region. I am hopeful that very soon I will have many of them considering that they reproduce twice a year. I am planning to sell two or three of the offspring once they increase in number and start up a business selling vegetables in the village. For now, I do not have any stable job to raise my three children. On most of the days, we used to lack basic needs such as food, and this has been frustrating me for a while. I am now happier that through the goats, I will be able to meet all my needs without struggling like before.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying three beds and mattresses at KES 27000. I had to prioritize the issue of beddings because for over thirty years we have been sleeping on the traditional beds made of ropes with lots of discomforts. Also, I cleared school fees of KES 6000 for my three children who are in primary schools. It was stressing me for a long because they were always at home due to the arrears. They used to miss important exams which affected their performance. In addition to that, I bought three goats at KES 7500 which I am currently keeping on my homestead. With the remaining amount of money, I bought foodstuff for my family and cleared all the pending bills.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I have three children attending primary school. Each pays KES 1500 in fees per academic term. I have been struggling a lot to raise that doing menial jobs at a local mine. I averagely earn KES 2500 per week when I work. But being a very physical job, it's hard to do everyday of the week. I believe if I get this money, I will be able to offset their current cumulative arrears of KES 5800 and also pay for few next terms. This I believe will give me time to focus on other important family needs.
What is the happiest part of your day?
In the month of December last year, I was able to work for so many days at the mine and I earned KES 7600. This was a great one! I managed to celebrate Christmas with my family in a big way. We were all happy.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
I have a lot of financial challenges lately. This mostly stems from the fact that I'm not able to take more work to earn enough. I am an old lady and the job I have is very physical; menial mine jobs. It's difficult to do this for even three days a week.
