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.
Having the pair oxen has totally changed my life. As a farmer, I have been longing to have them but due to the financial difficulties, I could not afford to buy them. I am now a happy farmer because I will be getting plenty of harvests. This is because the pair take a few days to plough an acre compared to when I used to do the exercise by myself. Once in a while, I could afford to hire labor but at times I could be forced to till it on my own. I relieved after buying the oxen because I will never have to spend anything in order to cultivate my land. Apart from that, I will be earning a lot after hiring them for my neighbors. From the money that I will be getting, I will start a business. If all these happen, I know I will not have to strain much especially in meeting my daily needs.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
I remember very well it was around 7 am when I had started doing my house chores, then I heard a message alert tone from my phone. Because I am illiterate I told my son to check what the message was all about. He told me it was from Give Directly. They had sent me my first transfer into my Mpesa account. I was very happy, I remember screaming and jumping with joy. I have never been that happy before. I always thank them for changing my life by bringing hope after I have given up completely
What did you spend your first transfer on?
I spent part of my first transfer on buying a pair of oxen. I decided to buy them because It will save me a lot, especially in my farming activities. Apart from that I also bought some building materials such as cement for constructing a pit latrine. Initially, we used to help ourselves in the bushes which were really unhealthy and embarrassing. It was really affecting us because we were always suffering from cholera and typhoid and I used to spend a lot in paying medical bills. For now, I am able to save because some of these expenses have been reduced. I cleared school fees for my children and used the remaining amount of money to buy foodstuffs for my family.
Enrolled
access_time almost 5 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
My area is drought stricken and in order to get enough produce one has to till a bigger piece of land. This is possible if there is enough money to hire farming equipments such as tractors. To scale up farming, I will purchase oxen and an ox plough. This will help me curb the food insecurity that has invaded my family. Besides, I will hire them at a fee to generate income that will meet other needs such as clothing.
What is the happiest part of your day?
Spending five hours on the road with a water jerrican on my head is not an easy task. This is so tiresome that I have to rest along the way. Therefore, it means I spend my morning hours looking for water. It is only in the afternoon when I am less busy and I get time to chat with my friends. Their presence makes me happy because of their funny jokes that help me relax my body and mind. This trend has made afternoon the happiest part of my day.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Raising my children is quite a big challenge because I do not have the capacity to provide quality life. It hurts me to see my six children who are not educated enough, being reduced to casual labourers. This is because I could not raise their school fees. In addition to this, other needs such as food are not easy to meet and in most cases we go hungry. This is due to not having a stable job that has consistent income. I can therefore say, financial instability is my biggest hardship.
