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 felt so happy the moment I received money from GiveDirectly. The thought that I was going to accomplish some of the things I had thought of accomplishing for a long time and failing to do it due to lack of finances was just so satisfying. I felt so proud that I was finally going to achieve these plans and I could not stop being grateful about it.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
The biggest difference in my daily life is the cow that I have bought with the transfers and the peace of mind that I now have having bought it. I do not need to stress myself on where I am going too get the money needed to buy milk and other basic household commodities but all I have to do is to have the cow fed well and have enough milk for the family. I am looking forward to accomplishing even much more bigger plans after receiving the second transfer.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I used part of my recent transfer to buy a dairy cow, part of it to buy basic household needs and the remaining amount was used to buy farm inputs as I got ready for a planting season. We never had a cow of our own and we had been straining a lot to make ends meet by buying almost everything including milk for local cnsumption. This was so costly and often left us broke and helpless as a family. Buying a dairy cow will reduce the levels of stress in meeting the daily needs of the family since the milk produced shall go a long way in meeting the daily needs of the family.
Enrolled
access_time over 4 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
I intend to use part of my first transfer of $300 to buy one dairy cattle that is already in lactating period and the rest of the amount to buy her feeds. The motive for this is to ensure that I put to an end the regular purchase of milk from my neighbours for subsistence use and in turn become a regular seller of milk products. Additionally, I will use my second transfer to complete my house and furnish it with household items.
What is the happiest part of your day?
My usual day start in the morning when I wake up very early, prepare breakfast and head out in search of casual labour. The most places I normally land one is on building and construction sites and if successful, I carryout the job until evening. I am usually excited in the evening since its at this time that I get paid my dues for the day. This gives me assurance that I will have something to take for supper now that I already have the means.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
Not so long ago, I used to have a very beautiful family comprising of my wife and three kids. I used to enjoy every bit of time while we were together until five years ago when we got separated. The major reason for our separation was my inability to provide basic needs for them since I solely depended on casual labour. There was a time we could skip meals/ not even have one and the situation worsened until she could not bear it anymore. This prompted her to leave with two kids and leaving the eldest one with me to take care of. The painful part is that I could not have any power to prevent all these from happening.
